God Eater 2: Evolution
by DestroNarok
Summary: In a world full of nothing but war and conflict, innocent blood shed everyday just for the sake of survival, is there any hope for humanity? Even if they finally won for the very first time in a long time? The victor isn't the one who is more resourceful, powerful or intellectual. No, the victor is the one who is willing to risk it all for victory.
1. Chapter 1: The Start

**Author-San: Sup! Here to introduce a new story I've been working on for a few weeks now. I went down nostalgia lane and got to play God Eater 2 Rage Burst, one of the best games – in my opinion – in the world. I loved every second playing it. Hell, I already hit the two-hundred hour mark for my game!**

**And this story I've made, is just my way to commemorate this game for being my favorite. And this story starts _after_ GE2RB. So if you guys haven't played – or watched, whatever you prefer – this game, then I highly recommend checking it out.**

**But without further-adu' let's get this show – story – on the road!**

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**{Chapter 1: The Start}**

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In the year 2050, monsters disguised as Gods and Goddess erupted from the Earth's womb and decimated everything in their way.

Man, women, children, everything. No modern weapon could harm them, no force could halt them, their hunger for blood and flesh unquenchable. These violent gods were almost unstoppable.

Well, almost.

In the year 2056, six years after the violent gods – or Aragami some have called – destroyed most of the world's population and civilization, weapons that could finally harm these almost unstoppable gods were made.

And these weapons were made from the same material that the violent gods are made out of.

Only a _god_ could harm another god.

God Arcs, the weapons that could finally bring humanity salvation. Weapons that could finally stop and possibly fight back the scourge that has plagued the world.

But, victory isn't determined who is stronger, smarter, or more resourceful.

No, it is determined by _how much _one will risk just to reach it.

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In the middle of a destroyed city, a city that once stood proud and mighty, but now broken and forgotten, was a young man, no older than eighteen at best.

The young man had spiky and slick-back silver hair, some even falling down his forehead in an almost lazy manner. He had a strong chin and narrow, garnet eyes. His posture was lax but on guard. He wears a black jacket with a badge over a white t-shirt with a red tie around his neck. He also wore a pair of black slacks and black shoes.

But the most distinct feature was what the young man was carrying over his shoulder and the black armlet on his right wrist.

A long pole-arm with a dark-silver scythe-like blade attached at one end of the pole. There was also a silver cannon-like part protruding out of the bottom part of the base of the pole, with two segments of a black-and-silver shield at each side of the base.

To some, it looked like _something_ out of an angsty teen's imagination.

But to many, this thing was a weapon of salvation.

"Wonder what's for lunch today...?" The young man mumbled to himself as he walked, looking off into space, not knowing the danger he was in.

Not far from the young man, a two-legged furred, white beast with a tail that looks like a demon's face was staring intently at the man from atop building, its mouth dripping saliva.

With a ferocious roar, the beast leaped at the young man, using its tail as a makeshift springboard. The beast's jaws were wide open, showing a cave full of sharp teeth that could mince even stone to dust.

Within a few moments, blood will be spilled.

But not the young man's.

The young man spun around, both dodging the white monster's pounce and swinging his scythe at it, cutting the creature in half like a hot knife through soft butter. Luckily, no blood sprayed on the man, only on his weapon.

The two halves of the beast fell on the dirt with a wet splat, with the young man still without a care. "Hmm... I think we're having curry tonight...?" He turned to an abandoned building. "Hey, Nana! What's for dinner?" He shouted, shouldering his bloody scythe. "Is it curry?"

A head poked out of a broken window. A girl with black hair and two hair-spikes that could be mistaken as cat ears. The girl known as Nana wore a white, very short tube top. She wears a short, pink hoodie which has a black-colored hood instead. She also wears a pair of pink gloves and black armwraps. And wears black shorts and a white belt with a golden buckle. Lastly, she wears a pair of black and pink riding boots, with her right leg wearing some sort of a black legging while her left one has a belt strap instead.

Strangely enough, those pieces of cloth she call clothes didn't mind her one bit, even when the air was chilly today.

But the strangest thing was the giant, pink hammer she was holding. The hammer too has a segmented shield attached to the sides. Same with the black armlet around her wrist.

"Hmm..." She tapped her chin before shaking her head. "Nope. Pretty sure Mutsumi said we're having beef teriyaki tonight." She said as she stepped out of the abandoned window, her hammer held lazily in hands, even though the weapon could have easily weighed a ton or more. She walked beside the young man, and rather close too.

"Welp. Better than nothing, I guess." The young man said out loud. "Still, kinda wanted something spicy. You know, to keep the blood pumping!" He said with a smile.

Nana giggled. "Captain, you _always_ eat spicy food." She teased, walking backwards with her hands and hammer behind her. "Maybe try eating something different for a change? You know you might get a tummy ache if you continue to eat more spicy foods." She said with a little bit of concern.

"No worry, Nana!" He exclaimed. "Your leader has a gut of steel!" He gave his abdomen a pat, emphasizing his point, which only earned him a giggle. "Hey! It's true!"

Nana continued to giggle, holding her sides in both pain and laughter. "C'mon, Captain! You still remember the Bean and Spice incident, right?"

"In my defense, I didn't know those spices were bad... _gas?_" He said slowly, not sure how to refer it. And this made Nana laugh harder.

"P-Please stop! H-Have mercy!" Nana laughed, stopping in her walk to hold her sides in pain. "I-I can't... can't take it anymore!" She then finally fell over, rolling in the ground in laughter.

The young captain watched her with a smile, seeing her laugh and happy was good.

"Yo, Captain!" Someone called out to him, making him turn his attention from Nana to the speaker.

A young man with short blond hair and blue eyes stared both at him and the rolling Nana on the ground. He wears a customized hat that covers most of his hair. He wears an orange and white small jacket with the collar extended outwards that covers over a black shirt with a gold-colored zipper, with striped black-and-white sleeves, and checkered shoes.

And yes, he too was holding some kind of weapon. He held an oversized sword – with a segmented shield attached to the sides – that could easily be used for crushing or slicing foes in half. And he too wore a black armlet around his wrist.

"So... What I missed?" The blonde asked his captain. "Don't tell me Nana accidentally made some kind of pill that makes you laugh uncontrollably?!" He said with pure horror written on his face.

The captain shook his head, amusement on his face if his smile was to go by. "No, Romeo. She's fine. She just remembered something funny, that's all." He said with a reassuring smile.

"Really?! That's a relief..." The blonde now named Romeo wiped his nonexistent sweat off his face. "So, what's the joke?"

"Um, ah, It's better you don't rememb-"

"Remember you farted so hard that Ciel thought she heard _Cappy's_ stomach rumble!" Nana said through her giggles and snorts of laughter, making her captain red in embarrassment.

"Oh! That! The Bean and Spice incident!" Romeo too joined in the laughter, using his oversized weapon as support. "Oh gosh! I can _still_ smell the fumes!" He continued to laugh, smacking his thigh.

Both of them were laughing, all the while the young captain was being drowned in embarrassment. Having Nana laugh at him was okay, but having both of his teammates laugh at him was too much.

Just wait for all of Blood to hear this and remember, they would never live it down for the next two months or so.

"Oh, come on, guys! That was just _one_ time!" The captain whined, his arms falling flat on his sides in both despair and embarrassment.

Sadly, they ignored him and continued to laugh at his face.

"Oh man! C'mon, guys. At least give me a..." He quickly sidestepped a barrage of sharp, bone-like spikes directed to him. His scythe then changed into a large cannon and fired a literal ball of fire at another one of those two-legged beasts, burning it to nothing but ash. "... Break." He sighed, turning his attention to a pack full of those same two-legged beasts.

His two companions also turning the pack of monsters, albeit with a giggle and laugh here and there. "Oops! Might have accidentally lost focused on my Blood Power." Romeo nervously chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "My bad..."

"Well... At least they're just a bunch of Ogretails, right?" Nana said with a face of an optimist.

Suddenly, two giant, tiger-like beast dropped down from atop of a building, wearing capes of red that sparked with volts of electricity. Each of them giving an even fiercer roar than the last.

"Um... Well... At least they're just Vajras, right?"

Then another beast dropped into the middle of the monster horde. And this one was far different than its lesser brethren, seeing that the others backed away from it from either by respect or fear.

It looked like a giant wolf with white-hair fur and cape-like tendrils coming out atop of its body. It had two large, heavily armored gauntlets at the front, heat clearly generating from it. The wolf easily dwarfed the small tiger-like Vajras.

The wolf then released a loud and massive howl, an aura of blood red surrounding it like a tornado of dominance. With the other beasts roaring or howling as well.

"... Well... At... least... we're-"

"Nana, please, no more..." The captain sighed, transforming his cannon back into a scythe. He pressed both of his index finger and middle finger on to his ear, his earpiece coming to life. "Fran, do you read this?" He asked through the comms, while Nana and Romeo both prepared their own weapons respectively.

_"Copy, Blood Alpha. There are a total of six Ogretails, two Vajras and one Marduk in your vicinity. Can you confirm?"_ A feminine voice told him through the radio.

"Yeah, Fran. They're here, staring directly at us like Nana watching choice-cut beef cooked." The captain joked, getting a whine from said girl behind him, and getting a small giggle from his earpiece. He too readying his own weapon. "Are there anymore coming?"

_"No. Nothing but Zygotes are around your current vicinity, and far too between with each other to pose a major threat." _

"Good. 'Cause..." He brandished his scythe and swatted away a bolt of electricity aimed at him, disappearing into nothing but small sparks. "I'm feelin' real _hungry_ right about now!" He showed a bloodthirsty grin before charging straight at the horde, both of his companions following suit.

The monsters let loose a cry of battle before charging straight at the trio of humans, ready to sink their teeth into soft and scrumptiously sweet flesh.

Too bad they weren't the ones who'll do the devouring.

The captain pulled the end of his pole-arm, hearing a shriek of pain before a black, grotesque, spiky head with multiple glowing, yellow eyes formed out of the scythe, devouring one of the Ogretails whole before transforming back into a scythe. He felt an incredible rush of power wash through him, his blood pumping through out his body like no tomorrow.

Nana then jumped over her captain and slammed her hammer down on a unfortunate Vajra, crushing the little kitten with sheer force and weight alone. But she didn't finish there. Her hammer then opened from behind, showing a single rocket-thruster inside.

The thruster came to life, giving even more than a boost, turning the Vajra that was already crushed into nothing more but a bloody stain on the ground.

Romeo then went around Nana, transforming his oversized sword into a cannon and firing a barrage of fire and frost, decimating the rest of the Ogretails. "Oh yeah!" He cheered.

Suddenly, a large, gauntlet paw swatted him, but luckily he was able to transform his cannon back into his oversized sword and use the shield attached to it to block the attack. But the force made him crash into a window of another abandoned building.

"Romeo!" The captain shouted in concern. But he immediately deployed his own shield, a pair of clawed paws smashing on to it.

The Vajra growled at him, its cape flaring up with sparks of voltage, forming a ball of electricity aimed at the young captain. But the captain used his strength to push the Vajra off of him. Using the extra boost he got from devouring that Ogretail, he darted to the Vajra and extended his scythe, turning into a literal cleaver with black, jagged teeth. He then cleaved the Vajra in half before it could even hit the ground, nothing but blood splashing to the ground.

With all but the Marduk dead – only using its lesser brethren as cannon fodder or distractions to get a hit – the captain and Nana glanced at each other.

The captain gave her a nod.

Nana gave him a smile.

And the Marduk released another howl, its red aura surrounding it once more.

_"Blood Alpha, the Marduk is calling for more Aragami! Find an opening and dispatch it before more come."_ Fran said through the captain's earpiece.

"You go it! Nana!" The captain charged straight at the Marduk, his scythe trailing just behind him.

"Aye-aye, Captain!" Nana revved up her hammer's booster before shooting past her captain and smashing her hammer on to the Marduk.

But the Marduk was able to use its own gauntlets to block the brunt of the attack, but it was pushed back from its sheer force. It was about to retaliate with a claw swipe, but the captain appeared above it and spun his scythe in a complete vertical circle, extending his scythe and hitting the Marduk straight on the head.

The attack cut a deep wound on the Marduk's forehead, causing blood to seep out of its wound. It gave a fierce howl of anger before its gauntlets lit up red, heat emanating from it. It then smashed its gauntlets on the ground, causing the area around it to explode into smoke and blaze.

It used the recoil of the explosion to go over both the captain and Nana, landing just behind them.

And behind the Marduk was an abandoned building.

"Romeo, now!" The young captain roared through his earpiece while he charged straight at the Marduk, his scythe glowing red, intensifying with each second.

The Marduk widened its eyes, turning around and seeing a blonde boy falling down from the building above it. An oversized sword then smashed on to its back, breaking and cutting its cape-like tendrils. The Marduk howled in pain and anger, about to swing its paw at the boy.

But Nana used the distraction to smash her hammer on the Marduk's unprotected side, causing it to bite off its own tongue and temporarily suspending it in the air.

Just enough time for the captain to extend his scythe, elongating farther than before. An aura of blood red surrounded him, empowering his swings. He swung his scythe around, making a deep gash on the suspended Marduk. He then swung again, this time cutting off one of its gauntlet limbs. And as the final blow, he swung his cleaver-scythe down on to the Marduk, bisecting the wolf beast into two.

The two halves smashed on to the floor with a splat, the light in its eyes snuffed out.

The captain sighed a breath of relief, using his knees as support while he took long breaths. "Mission is a success, Fran!" He said through his earpiece, a goofy smile on his face.

_"Good. As always, Blood Alpha. Get ready for extraction, over."_

"Copy, Fran. Copy." He said before his arm went limp to the side, feeling the sudden exhaustion from using his skill. His skill uses a lot of stamina to activate, but the pay-off is definitely worth it in the end.

But still, it's a pain to use.

"Yo, Captain! Did ya see me out there!" Romeo jogged up to him, his smile like a child waiting for a compliment from his seniors. "I was like all, watcha! Hiya!" He then imitated one of those martial artists from way back to prove his point. It did get a giggle from Nana though.

"Yes, Romeo, we did see that." Nana giggled at the blonde boy. "Ain't that right, captain?" She saw her captain breathing deeply, his brow covered in sweat. "Captain? Captain Amon, are you feeling alright?" She asked, concerned for her captain.

The captain now named Amon waved it off, taking a deep breath before standing straight. "Yep. Never better, Nana. Nothing to worry about." He flashed her a reassuring smile, causing the girl's cheeks light up. "My age might be getting to me?"

"Dude, you're in your late _teens_..."

"Hey! At least a guy could try and _act_ old. Right?" Amon winced from the backhand compliment. "Still, this has been the third sweep this week, and still the Aragami seem to come back to this place."

"Maybe it's migration season?"

"Romeo, these things aren't _real_ animals, remember? They _look_ like animals but they aren't. They're just a colony of cells – that eat basically anything – that looks like animals or creatures that come from old myths and legends." Amon said to his subordinate, watching the Aragami corpses disperse into nothing but black dust. "That also don't leave bodies behind. Sheesh! Seeing it a hundred times by now, and I still can't get use to seeing that..." He mumbled the last part to himself, feeling a small shiver up his spine.

"Heh... I... I knew that...!" Romeo chuckled, scratching the back of his head while his cheeks heated up from embarrassment. And Nana just giggled at him.

"Or maybe the Aragami are really hungry and just want to have a snack?!" Nana suggested, her smile little too bright.

"Nana, the cells inside the Aragami can eat anything. They can even eat the dirt if they wanted to." Amon answered, his amused smile growing even wider. "How about we leave the thinking to Director Sakaki for now, alright?"

"Aye!" Both Nana and Romeo voiced out their agreement.

"Alright! Now let's go home and get some well deserved rest!"

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"Where the hell is _my_ well deserved rest?!" Amon groaned, in front of him was a coffee-table overflowing with stacked papers and documents.

He was inside his quarters, writing papers upon papers of reports, some needing his signature while others were needed to be checked by him.

"I apologize, Captain Amon, but these reports have already been delayed for a few _days_ now." A pair of fair, delicate hands dropped another stack of papers on to the poor coffee-table, scaring the young captain half to death.

The person connected to those delicate hands was a teenage girl with pale-white skin, silver hair and silver eyes. She wore a gothic Lolita dress with a corset and a pair of black boots. Her hair was tied with two black pins to make a pair of ponytails; twin tails.

Around her wrist was also a black armlet. But the most distinct feature she had was the expression on her face. Her face was stoic as a rock, showing almost no signs of emotions yet her eyes held warmth in them.

"Captain, these reports are very important. It is our duty as God Eaters to report anything about the missions we go on. It is mandatory for you to complete all this paperwork today. Understood?" She questioned her captain.

"Yes, Ciel, I know. I just... wanna take a break before doing this." Amon had to hold back a yawn of exhaustion, stretching his arms a bit to wake himself up. "Still, is this stuff really important?" He picked up a paper from the pile.

"Of course, Captain Amon! This Intel might help us fight off the growing Aragami horde. Knowledge is power, a wise man once said." The girl now named Ciel said, placing another heavy stack of papers on the coffee-table.

"No, I mean this." Amon showed her the paper he was holding. "Write a two thousand-word essay about the mission _with_ the help of the vice captain? Ciel, you wrote this." He pointed out, the writing could even mistaken for a print out but was clearly handwriting.

Ciel's hand writing was somehow stiff yet elegant, in some way.

"... I have no clue what you are talking about, Captain." Ciel denied, but deep inside she was sweating inside from being found out. "And if I were to have written that, I would have done it for the betterment of the unit." She said, placing one more stack of papers.

"Okay, _where_ are you getting all these papers from?"

"Never-mind that, Captain. Please check these first." Ciel handed him a light-blue folder.

"Ugh." Amon groaned, taking the folder and opening it. "Again, this is your handwriting..." He mumbled out, taking a pen and beginning to do the dreaded paperwork.

After taking care of almost all the paperwork on the table, Amon leaned back into his couch, feeling its comfy warmth envelope his sore back.

"Ugh... I feel _nothing_ in my right hand..." Amon winced when he tried clenching said hand, only to feel absolute numbness from it. It didn't help that he felt the weight of the armlet on his wrist. "I am so tired right now..."

"Here. Let me help you, Captain." Ciel sat down next to Amon, confusing the young captain until she grabbed his head and placed it down on to her lap, his head setting to the side.

It took an entire minute for Amon's brain to process what was happening before he felt blood rise up to his cheeks. The warm, soft thighs were sending waves upon waves of pleasure through Amon. Joined with how Ciel was playing with his hair, it was practically paradise.

Amon was pretty sure Haru would kill an entire horde of Aragami just to get in his position.

And that was saying something about the old pervert.

Thus came an awkward silence – for Amon, at least – with Ciel continuing to caress his hair. "... U-Um, Ciel?" Amon stuttered out, cursing himself.

"Hmm? What is it, Captain?" Ciel tilted her head.

"W-Why are you doing this, exactly?"

"Well. I read from a book that if a person is exhausted, they can rest on another person's thighs as a substitute pillow, of course with the other person's consent." Ciel said, finding the lamp next to her very interesting. "Or am I wrong?"

'She isn't wrong or right...' Amon thought. With nothing better to do, he instead relaxed on Ciel's warm thighs. He felt he could fall asleep on them.

"So, how was the mission?"

Amon turned his head to Ciel, accidentally tickling her with his spiky hair. He saw two things. One, Ciel's cheeks were bright red. Maybe she was feeling hot?

And two...

Amon quickly turned back to his side, fighting back the raging blush he was sporting. He gulped down a lump from his throat before answering. "U-Um, we fought a Marduk today." He answered while he tried to cleanse his thoughts of any... sinful activities.

He shouldn't really think about that, especially that she was his teammate. _Especially_, that she was _younger_ than him.

"A Marduk? With only you, Nana and Romeo?" Ciel played with his hair, smelling his scent. "Do you still remember when we; you, I and the rest of Blood used to have trouble with combating even a single Kongou? It took us more time to catch it than try to land a hit on it." She giggled, finding the memory funny. "You would even try to use flash bangs on it, but it would always be too far away to even get caught in it."

Amon chuckled, remembering it as well. "Yeah, I do. And to this day, I still can't get a hit on those rolling bastards!" He said, making Ciel giggle. "Heck! I remember how I learned that my scythe could extend even farther than my usual wide arcs. That helped a ton."

"Ah, yes. I remember that as well, Captain. Do you also remember..." Both Ciel and Amon continued to laugh, joke and remembering about the pass, the time when they were still fresh recruits.

Amon cherished these moments, moments were he felt safe and comfortable. These moments always reminded him why he fights, the reasons he and many others risk their lives out there in the world; peace.

Amon felt at peace.

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In the far reaches of a barren wasteland, buildings demolished to ruins and plant life nonexistent, a pair of Ogretails, giant two-legged beasts, were chomping on a decaying corpse of a Vajra, one of the more mightier beasts of the food chain.

Sounds of flesh torn and sundered, blood trailing down from both Ogretails' boney chin.

While they were busy enjoying their meal, a large shadow silhouette loomed over them.

Suddenly, a pair of giant hands slammed down on both Ogretails, crushing them from sheer force alone. Fortunately, they were still alive, only struggling under the weight of the hands.

Unfortunately, they were better off dead right about now.

Black tendrils sprouted out of the hands, latching on to the Ogretails. The two small Aragami began thrashing around, pain evident from their constant roaring.

Then, the Ogretails started to grow in size. Their bodies bulged in mass, their small pupils turning blood red with nothing but rage in them, their teeth and spikes turning sharper and jagged.

After the hands lifted themselves off the two Ogretails, the newly transformed Aragami stood tall, easily dwarfing their old forms in size. They then let loose a monstrous roar, their mouths foaming with both saliva and red blood.

Their eyes were filled with nothing but rage, no instinct whatsoever.

A Vajra thus appeared out of a corner, watching the two Ogretails before letting loose its own roar. It then charged at the two Aragami, its cloak lighting up with electricity.

One of the transformed Ogretails smacked its tail at the charging Vajra, the force itself tearing about half of the Vajra's face off.

The Vajra slammed into an abandoned car, its body limp. The two Ogretails roared in dominance, rushing to the Vajra corpse and continuing their meal. They ferociously torn the Vajra apart, body parts and blood flying everywhere from their hasty feeding.

The large silhouette left, disappearing into the shadows.

Its moment _will_ come, in due time.

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**Author-san: So, how was it? Was it bad? Good? Needs improving? Just write a review and let me know.**

**Oh, and also, I'm not gonna include anything that is outside GE2RB and GER content. I'm gonna write my own story, but I might include tid-bits but _only_ tid-bits.**

**But still, thanks for reading. Bye-bye!**

**Edit: Oopsie! Forget to add my character sheet. This is just something to help you guys imagine what Amon is.**

**Edit: Have you ever fucked up so bad in your life, you actually forgot how to discern between left and right... Well, I have!**

**Character Name: Amon**

**Hairstyle: Style 4**

**Hair Color: Whitish-silver**

**Top: States M1W Coat**

**Bottom: Reaper Slacks**

**Skin Color: Fair**

**God Arc**

**Main: Good Harvest (Scythe)**

**Gun: Reinforced Blast (Blast Gun)**

**Shield: Shirogane Shield W (Shield)**

**Blood Art: Blood-Drenched Fang**


	2. Chapter 2: Mutation

**Author-San: Sup! Here again to bring you all another chapter. Enjoy!**

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**{Chapter 2: Mutation}**

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"This is indeed peculiar..." A man with short, dark-gray hair muttered, rereading the report sent to him to his computer terminal.

The man wore a colorful, Japanese yukata with a black waistcoat. He also wore glasses, but his eyes were always closed. He had white gloves on his hands and two more pairs of glasses dangling on his neck.

"What is, Director Sakaki?" A girl with short, gray hair said, looking over the director.

The girl wore pair of red goggles atop her head, with grease stains on her cheeks. She wears a gray, tube top and overall, wearing only one strap and letting the other one dangle behind her.

"This report says that the area near Satellite Base seven-six is almost devoid of Aragami." The director named Sakaki said to his assistant. "The God Eaters stationed there also confirmed that they didn't see even a _single_ threat during their routine patrols. Very peculiar..." Sakaki trailed off, quickly tying something on his computer terminal.

"Maybe a Bias Field anomaly? There have been an increase of Aragami activity in the other areas lately. Could this be related to it?" The girl asked, crossing her arms under her chest. "The Blood Unit did report – and thank goodness Captain Amon finally did the paperwork – that the Aragami in the area they've already took out seem to come back, more in numbers than before."

"Hmm. Yes. This could be the work of a Psion, Licca." Sakaki turned to his assistant. "Licca, can you be a dear and fetch Mister Amon. This might be the signs of a new species of Psion!"

"Right away, Director!" Licca said, placing a stack of papers on a table near the Director's terminal. "I'll just put the full report made by Blood on here, and I'll be on my way."

"Yes. Thank you, Licca!" Sakaki said before losing himself to his terminal, the prospect of a new Aragami species exciting yet troublesome.

Licca giggled at the eccentrics of the Director before leaving the room and closing the door behind her.

"Yes... This is quite intriguing indeed..." Sakaki mumbled to himself, tying a series of theories and hypothesis at almost ridiculous speeds.

On the monitor of the Director's terminal was an image, an image of a silhouette rooming behind a collapse building, perfectly blending in with the shadows.

The only visible parts of the silhouette was the two-pair of red eyes staring back at the camera.

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Amon dodged a massive ball of electricity by dashing around it, and then transforming his scythe into a cannon and retaliating with a couple of blasts of fire. A massive explosion occurred when the shots landed, smoke covering the whole street.

Then suddenly something jumped out of the smoke and smashed a golden-scaled fist on where Amon is, but he was able to dodge by the last second.

Connected to the fist was a bipedal, dragon-like creature covered in shining-gold scales. It had horns protruding out of its helmet like head and a long scaly tail. On its back were six booster-like appendages, purple energy pouring out of them like a faucet.

The dragon roared at the young captain, annoyed that its attack was avoided. It charged at him, its golden claws shining from the bright sun. It then gripped its claws into fists and proceeded to throw a series of punches.

Amon danced around the punches while he transformed his cannon back into his scythe. He then found an opening and swung his scythe around, cutting a deep wound on the monster's chest, blood pouring out of the fresh wound. Without letting up, Amon dashed up to the dragon and swung his scythe upwards.

The scythe entered deep into the wound, making the dragon roar in pain. With a mighty heave and pull, Amon pulled his scythe to the side, with the scythe's hooked blade taking out literal chucks out of the Aragami in a brutal and bloody fashion.

There was now a gaping hole on the Aragami's chest.

Amon then jumped back, avoiding a large fist trying to crush him. "Come on! Is that _all_ you got, Lizard-brain?!" He taunted the large dragon, even going as far as to do the universal gesture to come at him.

The taunting did its trick. The dragon let loose a loud, screeching roar of pure rage, charging at the young captain with foam and traces of blood coming out of its mouth. It completely lost itself to rage and the petty human would pay dearly for it.

Sadly, he wasn't the one _who_ was going to pay.

A man in purple appeared out of nowhere with an also purple spear in his hands. The spearhead radiated with energy. The man charged from behind and stabbed the dragon in the back of its shoulder, the spear's whole length almost going through it.

The Aragami roared in more pain, thrashing around and trying to grab the man in purple with its claws.

With the dragon being distracted, Amon changed his weapon into a cannon, steadying his breathing and taking aim. He made sure to align his cannon at the thrashing monster, the world slowing down with his concentration. One shot, only one shot was needed.

The man in purple saw this and pulled his spear out shoulder, jumping over the beast and facing the front of it.

The Aragami roared in anger, preparing to squish the human into a bloody stain on the ground. Its gaping wound visible for all to see.

The man in purple smirked.

And that was the opening he needed.

Amon fired his cannon, a ball of fire entering into the Aragami's chest wound. The monster staggered on its feet, being pushed back a little before its whole back exploded in a shower of gore and blood. The monster gave off a weak groan before slamming down on the ground, already slowly decomposing into black smog.

Amon sighed in relief, shouldering the cannon in his hands. "That went better than expected!" He laughed, walking up to the man in purple and giving him a pat on the shoulder. "Nice work, Gil!"

"Yeah, no prob." Gil said. "This is actually my first time fighting a Spartacus, to tell you the truth..." He scratched his cheek while also shouldering his God Arc.

Amon blinked. "Wait. Really?! That means I took your _first_ time!" He said out of context.

"Whoa! Context!" Gil backed off from the young captain, his face turning a shade of both green and red.

"C'mon, man! You're older than me but you still get flustered at that? Where's the big, tough Gil we all know and love, eh?" Amon teased before laughing his heart out. "Oh god! I'm kidding, man, I'm kidding. Sorry about that."

Gil gave him a glare before chuckling. "You know... you're more trouble than you're worth..."

"Heh, you might have forgot how you're talking to!" Amon chuckled, kneeling and checking the decomposing Spartacus corpse.

"So, is _this_ the Psion the Director's been fussing about?" Gil asked, standing guard while the young captain checked. "Doesn't look like something that could cause so much of this trouble if both of us could take it down so easily." He commented.

"No. I've fought my fair share of these kind of Psions and none of them could do this, even if this could be related to those increase of Aragami in the area." Amon answered, standing up and turning to his fellow God Eater. "Hope the others have better luck than u-"

Amon was cut off when both of their earpieces began ringing, signaling for a incoming transmission. "Captain Amon here. What's the problem?" He answered, his face serious.

_"Captain!" _A distressed voice cried at his earpiece, putting him on edge. _"We need backup! Now!"_

"Livie, what is it?!" He asked, running at his comrades location with Gil right behind him.

If there was something out there that could make Livie sound like this, then it might be really serious.

_"Captain, after we split up, Julius and I encountered two Ogretails. They looked different, but we thought we _could_ handle it and then-"_ The transmission was cut off, only static could be heard in his earpiece.

"Dammit...!" Amon handled, looking over his shoulder to his friend Gil. "Gilbert! I need you to call for backup! I'll go to where Livie and Julius are!" He ordered, his teeth gritting in frustration.

Lately, they've been getting easier and easier missions, or they've been getting better and better? But nevertheless, they were getting sloppy for letting something like this to happen.

_'Dammit all to hell!'_

"What about you?! If there's something that could take out Livie and Julius, then you're going to need me there!" Gil protested, refusing to leave his captain all alone.

"This _isn't_ a request, McLaine! This is an order from _your_ superior!" Amon yelled, running faster so he couldn't catch up.

"Wha-! Hey!" Gil tried to catch up to his captain. But when Amon started to jump and climb up to buildings, he couldn't follow. "Dammit...!" He cursed under his breath. "Fran! Send the others here! The Captain and the others are in trouble!"

_"R-Right! All available members of Blood, requesting assistance! Sending the coordinates right now!"_ He heard her through his earpiece.

"... You better be still alive when I get there...!" Gil said through gritted teeth, taking a detour to where Livie is.

If the others were to get hurt, then it would be Kate all over again.

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A young man with blonde hair used his God Arc's shield to block a literal hail storm of bone-needles, his feet buckling under its sheer force. He gritted his teeth in pain, feeling his arms go numb while holding his weapon in place.

When the bone-needles stopped, the young man transformed his shield into a long sword and pointed at his opponents. His formal clothes were bloody and torn in different areas, showing deep wounds that were slowly healing. One of his sleeves was torn and missing, showing cuts and bruises all over it.

The only thing that was keeping him awake was sheer force of will and an abundance of adrenaline coursing through his veins.

Behind him was his unconscious, female teammate, her red, scythe God Arc next to her. The female is a young woman with dark skin and white hair, which is styled in a bob haircut with a single long braid. She wears a sleeveless, form-fitting purple shirt with a matching skirt, and her head and upper back is covered with a red hood. She wears black knee-high boots with red details, and black gloves.

Her armlet and most of her right forearm is covered in white bandages.

_'I need to... hold on... Just hold on until help arrives...'_ He told himself, biting his lower lip until it bled, keeping himself awake. "Now...!" He held his sword in front of him, shining from the brilliance of the sun. "You will not cause any more harm to my comrade while I stand, vile creatures!" He roared, feeling power course through his veins.

In front of the young man were two Ogretails. But they were far different than they're normal breed. They were bigger, bulkier, and all more ferocious. Their eyes shined with the glint of bloodlust and fury, their maws dripping saliva and blood from hunger.

And they were giving him a really hard time.

One of the Ogretails let loose a ferocious roar, using its tail as a springboard and leaping at the young man with its mouth wide open, ready to swallow him whole.

The young man readied his sword to swing at the last moment, aiming to thrust his sword into the beast's wide open mouth.

Until a ball of fire slammed into the side of the leaping Ogretail, making it go off course and pass the young man, slamming on to the ground in an equally painful and ugly manner.

"Julius! Run!" Amon yelled at the young man, firing a barrage of fire at the two Ogretails, distracting both of them.

"Right!" Julius grabbed the unconscious young woman by the waist like a sack and run as fast as his injured body could carry him.

After making sure both his comrades were gone, Amon transformed his cannon back into a scythe and charged into the fray, his scythe elongating. He swung his scythe at Ogretail, but his scythe bounced harmless off its armored hide.

_'W-What?!'_ Amon thought in shock. But his shock lasted only a moment until he got slammed by a spiked tail, piercing and cutting his body up before he smashed into a light post, bending and cushioning him.

Amon choked on air, his lungs feeling crushed. He pushed himself off the light post and rolled away from a pounce by the previous Ogretail he just shot. He swung his scythe in its shortened form at the crevices of the Ogretail's armor.

It did cut but it didn't went get any deeper.

Amon jumped back and landed atop an abandoned car. He then threw away his ruined black jacket, his white t-shirt stained red with his own blood.

_"Blood Alpha, health readings are in the red! Find an opening and fall back immediately!"_

"N-No can do, Fran...!" Amon answered back through his earpiece. "Can't let these bastards run away with hurting my friends! Plus, they'll pay for staining my favorite shirt. This'll be a total bitch to wash off!" He joked, coughing a little bit of blood, feeling at least two or three ribs broken.

As if it understood his joke, the other Ogretail fired its boney-spikes at him. He deployed his shield in time, bouncing off his shield, but one of the spikes got him in his left shoulder. Fortunately, it didn't go puncture an artery or something.

Amon grabbed the spike and violently ripped it out, screaming in excruciating pain with each second. And when the spike was pulled out, he threw it at the Ogretail currently charging at him.

The spike went into the Ogretail's eye, stopping it in its tracks and thrashing around.

And that gave Amon an idea. "Fran! Kill God Arc restrictions now!" He roared at his earpiece, running at the two Ogretails before he could get answer.

"Right! God Arc Restraint Frames down! Take the-" Amon threw away his earpiece before she could finish, power going through his body and God Arc.

Amon's God Arc glowed yellow before exploding in a light of sheer power, enveloping both it and Amon in its brilliant light.

When the light disappeared, Amon had two blackish-yellow, broken wings sprouting out of his back, one large than the other that left streams of yellow light in its wake. His armlet and his entire forearm was covered in a yellow chitinous-like armor. Amon's eyes glowing a furious blood red, fury and anger contained in them.

Amon gave off a frightening war-cry and charged faster than before at the two Ogretails. He tackled one of them to the ground and hooked his scythe into its eye, blood profusely spewing out.

The other Ogretail that had the spike sticking out tried helping out its brother by swinging its tail at the young captain, but it bounced off of his skin harmlessly.

Amon grabbed one of the Ogretail's elongated fangs and broken it off like a twig. He then stabbed it through the Aragami's other eye. He gripped both his scythe and spike that were lodged in both of the Aragami's eyes and lifted the monster up with monstrous strength.

He used the Ogretail as a makeshift club to bash the other Ogretail around, breaking the armor on its head. He then threw the battered Aragami into the wall of a building, dislodging his scythe out of its eye socket and then swinging it hard into the other Ogretail's skull, the pick-like blade of his scythe digging deep into its exposed cranium.

The Aragami gave off a weak growl before turning limp, still stuck to Amon's scythe. The battered Ogretail that Amon threw, slammed hard into the concrete wall, falling down to the ground with a loud thud. It tried to get up, but a black shoe stomped on its still lodged spike, driving it deeper into its eye.

Amon raised his God Arc high in the air and brought it down on to the struggling Aragami, the force breaking apart the weakened armor and piercing soft flesh. Blood sprayed on to his face like a geyser.

The Aragami continued to struggle, even though it had something stuck in its head. Amon roared, pushing his scythe deeper into the Aragami, hearing bone break and flesh torn apart. He then pulled on the end of his God Arc, hearing a shriek of pain before a monstrous, grotesque head formed and chomped down the struggling Aragami's head, biting off almost half of it.

The Ogretail then finally went limp, Amon giving a sigh of relief before the wings on his back disappeared into a few glimmers of light. He pulled his God Arc – after turning back into a scythe – out of the Ogretail and stepped off the carcass, his body feeling slow and sluggish.

Amon slowly sat down on to the ground next to the decaying corpse that was once an Ogretail.

An Ogretail...

That sounded incredibly weird. An Aragami that he has slain more than a hundred – or maybe thousands – of with relative ease, caused him this much trouble.

He would be laughing right now if his body didn't feel like it went through a blender.

Amon groaned, holding his shoulder, the adrenaline leaving him with nothing _but_ pain. He really wished someone would get his ass out of here, stat.

His vision went blurry and his mouth felt tremendously dry, gasping for both air and water. Why does the ground feel so soft on his back? It feels too comfortable to sleep on... _too_ comfortable...

Before he left the world of consciousness, he saw about six blurry colors running up to him, shouting something he can't properly hear.

Mango? He _heard_ mango.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

In a moonless night, the ground covered in deep water, there stood a humanoid being with no features whatsoever, no parts to discern it between male or female. They stood on the water as if it was solid ground, making small, ring-shaped waves at where it stood.

They raised their hand to the sky, reaching out to a single star out in the moonless sky. Their fingers then started to elongate, going farther than its hand but not enough to reach for it.

The star's shine was weak and far, yet it gave off a feeling of gentle glow in the darkness that surrounded it.

The humanoid's feet then started to extend, its long fingers reaching desperately at the flickering star. Horrendous wings then sprouted out of the humanoid, giving a mighty flap before flying in the air, its hand still reaching for the star.

Yet it could not reach.

Yet its shell of a _body_ chained it down to the ground, the star's comforting shine out of reach.

The winged-humanoid turned its faceless head, its featureless face staring right at him.

_**"Why are mortals so weak?"**_

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Amon immediately sat straight on the bed, his breathing erratic while his forehead was sweating like crazy. His heart was beating uncontrollably and his eyes frantically looked around the room.

It was dark, the light were off. He wasn't wearing a shirt, showing his toned top for all to see. He was in a bed between two empty ones. There was a sliding curtain that separated each of the beds. On a table next to him was a vase full of colorful flowers and a sandwich filled with the ingredients for oden on a plate. There was also a colorful card that said _'Get well'_ on it.

The flowers were a nice touch, the smell relaxing his burning nerves a bit. And the sandwich gave him a bit of a chuckle, already knowing who sent the food.

He reached for the card with a shaking hand, silently cursing when the piece of paper slipped through his fingers and landed on his laps. His hands felt cold... _really_ cold.

_'C'mon you stupid hands! Not now...'_ He rubbed and blew his hands, getting some warmth into them.

They were indeed really cold, almost as cold as ice, actually. They were practically numb.

And that was when he noticed that the hole that was in his shoulder was expertly stitched up. He was sure that was going to leave a scar, but he didn't mind at all. Scars and wounds were the only proof for a good God Eater, as a fellow God Eater said to him once.

Amon took the card on his laps and read it.

_"Good morning! Or is it noon? Night? Actually, forget it. Me and the others left you this note in case you wake up and we aren't around. We found you pretty beat up, Captain. Hope you get better soon. Signed: Nana and your friends."_

Amon chuckled at his teammate's uniqueness, something he always brought a smile on his face. His eyes dipped down to the bottom of the letter; more written text.

_"P.S: You better eat that extra-special oden sandwich I left you! Don't leave even a single crumb, okay? You're gonna need all the energy you need to get better!"_

_"P.S.S: Don't forget to get plenty of rest after you eat that amazing oden sandwich!"_

_"P.S.S.S: Bye!"_

Amon's smile widened further, a chuckle escaped his lips. He did like Nana's sandwiches, they were indeed one of the best sandwiches he ate.

But then his thoughts wandered back to those two Ogretails he just fought, the two that did this to him. They were _nothing_ like the Ogretails he fought before. They were bigger, ferocious, and down right bloodthirsty. They fought like their lives depended on it, like they were on their last legs and were determined to bring down everything in their path with them.

To add insult to injury, they were just a regular strain of Ogretail, not the ones who ate a Vajra, not the ones who adapted from cold climates. Just _regular_ Ogretails.

And he was forced to use Blood Rage on them just to get a fighting chance.

Amon groaned in frustration, laying flat on his bed while he stared at the white-tiled ceiling with half-lidded eyes.

Just how did he let himself get so weak?

Everything in his early childhood was fuzzy and blurry. But when he started his career as a God Eater, he was _prepared_ to fight, to see people die around him and people's hopes and dreams crushed and blown away by the unforgiving winds of the unfair world.

He was prepared to die for a _lost_ cause.

But the people around him, people like him – God Eaters – who fought even longer in this never ending war, were more optimistic and hopeful than him. They fought with both flesh and soul, going so far as to charge into the impossible than to let people die around them.

Those people, these people he calls friends, gave him a new look at life.

It isn't how you die or how far you've gone. It's about _what_ you do and _how much_ you've done with your life.

Hope. It was always a weird word for him. Different people have different meanings for it. Some say it's like a light in the end of a tunnel filled with darkness, some even said that it was the light that burned inside of every person. In short, it was like a light.

And the people around him, their light could even rival the damn sun if they wanted too. While his own... He wasn't sure, actually.

But if he just threw in the towel with every fight he almost lost, then he should've quit as a God Eater _long_ ago. Being a God Eater wasn't doing the possible, it was doing the impossible.

_"So, why not learn and improve?" A girl with black hair said, her hair covering her face and other features._

Amon blinked, remembering familiar words from someone he hasn't met. _'... What the hell was that?'_ He thought, rubbing his eyes.

He could've sworn he remembered someone just now. Maybe he was still tired from the fight? He should really get some rest.

"I'll eat the sandwich in the morning..." Amon held back yawn. "... Hope Nana doesn't get mad or knows." He laid back in bed, drifting off to sleep.

He heard gentle humming, soft fingers caressing his hair like a gentle mother.

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**Author-San: Hello! So, how's the chapter? In my opinion, I might have overdone it or half-assed some parts, but either way, hope you enjoyed!**


	3. Chapter 3: Investigation

**Author-San: Ha! Y'all thought I abandoned this story, then y'all be wrong! On with the chapter!**

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**{Chapter 3: Investigation}**

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Amon could be described as one of the best God Eaters there is, someone who could stare Death in the face and spit on him. He was a good instructor, a better fighter and a well-tuned leader.

He has fought hordes of Aragami with ease, survived a charging Ouroboros head on, and rumored to have a harem full of beautiful women at his beck-and-call.

And of course, the latter hasn't been proven yet by an individual named Haruomi Makabe.

Much to the frustration of a young captain.

But there is one undeniable fact that Amon has. A weakness that can be exploited by everyone and everything around him. Something that has defeated the young captain time and time again.

He is bloodthirsty, especially if it means getting a decent fight out of it.

He isn't too bloodthirsty, per say. He doesn't take risks that endanger his comrades or the people around. He just wants a challenge, something that could push him to his limits and beyond.

But to get some kind of challenge, he often even goes solo on missions that should be done with a team or more. He loves the rush of blood that goes through his veins, the sense of uncertainty that goes through his mind. Can he win? Can he fight two Aragami at once? Can he finish before he risks the chances of Bias Factor deficiency?

But he knows the difference between being reckless and being confident.

One lives longer than the other.

And when news that Amon, Captain of Blood Special Forces, a rookie turned captain in no less than a year, was defeated by two mere Ogretails, people start to ask questions. And next thing you know it, rumors start to spread and grow.

"Hey, Captain?"

"Yes, Nana?"

"What's a Scandal?" Nana asked with an innocent question, tilting her head to the side.

"... How about you stop reading that fake crap..." Gil grabbed the white tablet from the pink-wearing God Eater and placed it down on the table next to Amon's bed. "And forget about it, yeah?"

Politics were never his thing. It was like a messy jungle that entangled you at every turn you make. Every time you did something good, people will always see the bad instead.

"We apologize, Captain. If it weren't for Livie and I, you wouldn't be the victim of such ludicrous claims..." Julius said, bowing head at the young captain. His arm covered in a case while it recovered. The hood-wearing girl next to him – Livie – bowed as well, her head covered in bandages in different areas.

"Woah, Guys! You don't need to do that! I'm the Captain of Blood. It's my duty as leader to keep my comrades alive and well. You shouldn't really apologize. I should be the one apologizing." Amon said, releasing a sigh. "I made you guys worry about me, and I'm really sorry for that..."

"But still! Because of us, people from Fenrir are thinking of relinquishing your status of Captain!" Livie protested, her hands gripping into fists. "If we didn't attack those Aragami, maybe this wouldn't have happened in the first place...!" She said through gritted teeth.

"Livie, you can't change the past. Plus, being sad doesn't suit you. A smiling Livie is much better than a sad one." Amon said, getting the said girl blush in embarrassment. "But there is one thing I've noticed." He said, getting the full attention of his team.

"What is it, Captain?" Ciel asked, curious to what her captain has to say.

"As crude as this sounds. We're still weak, so very, very weak. Those Ogretails I've fought, they were nothing like the ones I've fought before. They – the lightest sense – beat the living tar out of me. I was even forced to use Blood Rage on them just to get any real damage." He explained, unconsciously rubbing his shoulder. "That sense of weakness I've felt, was the same one when I started out as a God Eater."

"Where are you going with this?" Gil asked, leaning on a wall near the captain while he crossed his arms.

"We need to improve, to grow stronger and surpass the limits that have been placed on us. We are God Eaters, we do the impossible." Amon grinned at his team. "In short, we gotta hit harder and faster than before."

"So, training, huh?" Romeo asked.

"You, Romeo, are absolutely correct!"

"Heck yeah! We're gonna beat those bad guys harder than before!" Nana cheered, her optimism spreading around the room, bringing a smile upon the young Blood Captain.

"So... You think we need more training, huh?" Livie asked him, stepping next to the bed while the others began planning how to improve. "You really do know how to use your words, eh, Captain?"

"The stronger the opponent, the stronger one gets. Remember those words, Livie. I practically lived by those words." Amon said. He winced at the sharp pain he felt through his shoulder, getting Livie attention.

"What's wrong?!" Livie asked, worry flooding her mind. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine. Nothing to worry about. Your captain is tougher than he looks!" He beamed her a bright smile, making her blush once more.

That smile, that genuine smile he always gives whenever everything was fine. It felt warm and fuzzy, like a smile of someone who would never leave you alone.

Livie hated being alone, ever since she was still in the orphanage. But right now, she wasn't and never will be again.

She loves that smile of his.

"Hey, Livie!" Romeo called out to his friend. "Are push-ups and lifting weights the same, or not?"

Livie giggled. "No, Romeo, they aren't."

"Really?! Aren't you using your arms to lift something heavy the same?"

"No, you idiot! They aren't."

"Oh really, Gil? Like you've been to the gym!"

"Yes, I have. Almost everyday, actually.

"Wait? Seriously?!"

Everyone laughed at Romeo's answer, the tense atmosphere settling down like it wasn't there in the first place.

Amon glanced at his armlet. The sight of his armlet always reminded him why they were his friends, people he cherished deeply, every one of them.

It somehow felt heavier than before.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

A dark silhouette drifted from the shadows, intending to find prey. It stalked the concrete jungles for a while, jumping over buildings and dashing through alleyways. Its claws gripped the sides of the buildings it climbed on. Its strong, muscled feet running through the city's street.

After a while, it saw perched over an abandoned church, looming over the city like a omnipotent god. Its two-sets of red-slitted eyes stared down at the street below, it saw two humans wearing raggedy clothes, fighting over supplies.

_Pathetic..._

Humanity thought they were considered to be the highest pinnacle of animal evolution. They had the knowledge to choose between right or wrong, a mindset that isn't shackled down by animalistic instinct. And what do they do with that power?

They wage war at each other, killing their _own_ kin in cold blood. They fought just because of petty disagreements and rivalries that aren't involved in their survival.

They are flawed, humanity is flawed. As long as their is a common threat, they would join forces and destroy it without knowing its intentions. And right after the threat is destroyed, humanity would wage war on itself once more.

They should not have been given freedom of choice, only chaos sprouts out of choice and decision.

Their was only one redeeming factor about the human race, and that was their undying will to survive like worms. Everywhere, humans can be found everywhere it went, and it was beginning to annoy it.

The silhouette gave a roar of supremacy, jumping down from its perch and crushing the two pitiful humans between its giant clawed-fingers. It raised its claws, blood and entrails dripping down from the gaps of its fingers.

Tendrils of black sprouted out of its palm, latching and assimilating the human remains together like a patchwork of flesh. It connected the two masses of flesh together and then dropped the pile of human flesh on the ground, making a resounding splat through the empty streets.

The flesh moved, six spiked limbs violently sprouted out of the base of the mass. It stood up in all six, the front violently shaking before bursting into a shower of blood and gore, a hairless arachnid head with eight eyes appearing out of the hole, its bloody mandibles clicking while corrosive venom dripped from them.

The perverted version of human birth.

_Beautiful..._

The thing looked around, seeing the large shadow silhouette before scurrying in fear from it.

The creature it just created knows its betters, knows what's at the pinnacle. Humans don't. They are stubborn and prideful beings full of malice and hate for each other.

They are unjust to rule this world.

They are unjust to even walk on this world.

The world must be cleansed in the fires of the deepest pits of Hell.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

In the ruins of a snowy village, a young man with orange hair and brownish-green eyes fought back a yawn.

He wore a white jacket with a yellow t-shirt underneath. On his orange hair is a yellow bandana wrapped around his head. Lastly, he wears orange pants that reach only to his knees and a pair of black boots.

On his right wrist was a red armlet, signifying that he is a God Eater. In his hands was a yellowish-orange, oversized Lewis automatic machine gun. He held the gun like a Gatling gun.

The young man jumped down from the roof of a house, kicking up some snow upon his landing. He looked around the area before walking in a random direction.

When he was about to turn a corner, he leaned on the wall behind him, taking a peek around the corner before advancing. He discovered it was a dead end, nothing out of the ordinary. He released a sigh, rubbing his head to get rid of the snow that was beginning to form atop. 'This is getting us nowhere!' He was about to turn back when his earpiece flared to life.

_"Captain Kota! Me and Emil found something that you might wanna see... And it ain't pretty."_ A feminine voice said through his earpiece.

"Yeah! On my way, Erina!" He answered back, running to his comrades' location.

And when he arrived there, he found two people silently bickering with one another behind a broken wall. One was a young girl while the other one was a young man.

The young man had blonde, elegant hair and blue eyes. He wears clothes that could be considered the clothes of a rich noble from medieval times. He has a red armlet around his right wrist, and on his hands was a yellow-shining hammer with a cannon attached to it. His pattern of speech was unique and archaic, something that has been forgotten since the fall of the Old World.

And the young girl he was bickering with had green hair and blue eyes. She wore a school uniform that consists of a white blouse, with a yellow ribbon around the collar, underneath a beige school vest, a belt with a pouch attached to it, and a blue skirt. She also wears a pair of fingerless gloves, red stockings, and a pair of black ankle boots.

She too has the same armlet as the young man. She held a blue spear with a blue shotgun attached to it. She was currently contemplating whether to skewer the annoying man in front of her or not.

"Oh my sweet sister Erina! Are we not showing such cowardice to our enemies if we hide behind this wall?! I beseech thee to join I, Emil von Strasbourg, and do battle with the vile Aragami _without_ such tactics!" The blonde guy named Emil said with a boisterous tone, throwing his behind his back while glitters seem to shine around him.

"One, shut up! And two, we are not fighting anything without Captain Kota, Emil. So shut your trap and be quiet, okay?!" The young girl named Erina hissed at the young man, her expression both annoyed and tired.

But those words seem to give Emil a different message. "Fear not, my dear Erina! For I, Emil von Strasbourg, am here, and you have nothing to be afraid of!"

"Who said I was scared?!"

Before the two could start a brand new argument, Kota coughed loudly into his fist, getting the attention of both of them. "Lord Kota!" Emil said, surprised to see his captain here already. "I see you have rode the winds when dear Erina cried for your help!"

"Will you shut up already?!"

Kota sighed, rubbing his temples in both pain and frustration. "You both should really stop before we blow our cover from whatever Erina has to show me." He ordered.

"Yes, of course, Lord Kota!"

"O-Okay..." Erina replied, her face flustered. She turned and peaked over the broken wall. "Captain, look over there! That's what we found." She pointed.

Kota looked over the young girl's shoulder, his eyes narrowing. At the very center of the village, an ape-like Aragami was eating another of its kind, ripping and tearing out its limbs and chucking them into its mouth, chewing and swallowing that went in.

But there was a clear difference between the Aragami and the Aragami it was eating. It was clearly bigger, possibly as big as a Vajra. Its eyes glowed a deep-red instead of its usual white, pupiless eyes. Its blunt, red tail was replaced with one that ends with a scythe-like hook.

"What the hell kind of Kongou is that...?" Kota mumbled, watching the Aragami eat its lesser brother with clear haste and hunger. "I have a bad feeling about this. We should leave before it notices us." He glanced at both Erina and Emil.

But the Kongue suddenly stopped eating, turning around and stared at the general direction where Kota and the others were hiding. Its red-glowing stare was petrifying, blood and pieces of flesh dripping down the beast's jaw.

Kota grabbed Erina and Emil by the shoulders and quickly pulled them down behind the broken wall, gesturing to the both of them to stay quiet.

Silence, nothing _but_ silence could be heard. No flesh being torn, no dripping blood, the snow even stopped failing. Absolute silence.

Kota gulped a lump down his throat and took a deep breath. And when he took another look over the broken wall...

He was face to face with the Kongou, its breathing erratic and heavy. Its eyes focused solely on him.

Kota widened his eyes, his scream caught in his throat. But the Kongou simply stared until it opened its own mouth wide, widening further to the point the skin around it teared itself apart and blood sprayed on to Kota's face.

Spider-like limbs began violently ripping itself out of the Kongou's mouth until a hairless arachnid head showed itself inside the mouth, its mandibles clicking and hissing.

Kota was paralyzed in fear.

"Captain, watch out!" Erina pushed the shocked captain out of the way and jumped back when the Kongue's arachnid head tried biting them both down. "Emil! Carry Captain Kota and run!"

The spider hissed at the God Eaters before sliding back down the Kongou's gullet. The Kongue roared at them while blood and pieces of meat flew everywhere. It then tried charging at the young girl, but Emil intercepted the monster with a boosted swing, flinging the creature through a wooden home's door.

"Dear Erina! We must make haste and retreat! We are not prepared to encounter such devious creatures! I will draw its attention while you tend to Captain Kota instead!" Emil yelled, turning his attention back to the wooden home.

The roof of the house bursted open, six long, spider legs climbed out of the hole, carrying the Kongou by its back.

Erina nodded, trusting his friend to keep the monster busy while she went to snap her captain out of it. "Have at thee, Vile Beast!" Emil cried out, revving up his boost hammer to charge at the monstrosity.

Kota was still shocked, sitting on his rear end while he shook like a leaf. The eyes, those eyes stared at his very soul. Kota suddenly bent back and turned over on all fours, vomiting his lunch out on the snowy ground.

When he finished spilling out his own guts, spittles of saliva dripping down his chin while his eyes were unfocused. He felt another wave of nausea, but a hand slapped down his shoulder, hard. He raised his head.

"Captain! Focus!" Erina yelled at him, trying to pull him up by his shoulder. "Dammit, Captain! Emil is fighting that thing on his own while you're just sitting there! Get up!" She demanded, pulling him harder.

Kota shook his head to get rid of the nausea. "... Y-Yeah! Y-You're right!" Kota grabbed his God Arc next to him and stood up, shaking his head to get his mind straight. "Sorry about that, Erina." He apologized.

"Apologize after we save Emil's sorry ass before he-!" Erina was cut off when the same guy she was referring to just flew past them and slammed back first into a stone wall.

Emil's clothes were torn and ruined, blood running down his forehead while he sported a busted lip. He tried standing up but immediately dropped down on all fours.

"Emil!" Erina cried while running to him. Kota aimed his gun at the mutated Kongou, its body was slowly rotting away and falling into the snow.

Kota pressed the trigger, firing a volley of bullets into the Kongou's body, each bullet pushing it further and further back. It was then pushed back to the point that a cliff was now behind it.

As a desperate attempt, the Kongou's arms violently split open, showing a pair of wicked, long, sickle-like arms. It then tried to scissor the captain in half, but he jumped over the arms and fired a bullet into the Kongou's open mouth, going through the back of its head.

He then changed his bullets to explosive and fired straight at the Kongou's feet, blowing up the ground around and making it fall down the cliff.

"Captain! Emil needs medical help now!"

Kota quickly ran back to both of his comrades. Emil was leaning on the wall he just crashed into, unconscious but his breathing was quick and heavy, both of his arms were badly bruised, probably from using his shield to take the blows.

"Captain, we need to get Emil out of here, ASAP!" Erina said to her captain, tears clearly trailing down her cheeks. "Emil, stay with us! We can't lose you – I can't lose you!" She cried, hugging the unconscious Emil close to her chest.

"Captain Kota to Far East! We need immediate medical assistance now!" Kota said through his earpiece, _checking Emil's pulse._

_"Hibari Takeda here! We hear you loud and clear, Captain Kota. Sending evac and medical personnel to your location. ETA: ten minutes." _He heard through his earpiece.

"Help is on the way! We just need to-" Kota was interrupted when he heard _something_ landing atop the building behind them. He felt a cold sweat go down his forehead while he slowly turned around.

Behind them was the Kongou – or what's left of it – it stared at them with its piercing, crimson eyes. Its spider limbs sharpening themselves, glinting from the moon's shine.

Erina hasn't noticed, too busy crying over her unconscious partner.

Kota swallowed a lump down his gullet and aimed Mousy Blow at the mutated Aragami. "Erina... when I say 'go', you and Emil hide in one of the houses and I'll follow, alright?" He whispered to the young girl. "And don't turn around, okay?"

Erina nodded, slowly pulling Emil on to her back, thanking that God Eaters were stronger than normal humans. She grabbed her God Arc and placed Emil's between her and him.

The God Eaters and the Aragami stood in place, staring at each other, waiting for the other to make the move.

And one did.

"Go!" Kota roared, firing explosive bullets at the house. The bullets destroyed what little integrity left that was in the old, ruined home, making the Aragami fall through the roof.

Erina ran as fast as she could, turning a corner and not stopping. Kota continued to hail down bullets upon bullets on the house while his other hand fished through his pockets.

He pulled out a flash bang and threw it into the house. The grenade flooded the entire area in a bright glow, blinding everything near the vicinity. Kota was already running right after the grenade left his hands. He followed the snow tracks Erina left behind.

He heard a loud roar and hiss before sounds of heavy footsteps could be heard. Kota ran faster and faster, pulling out another flash bang and throwing it behind him.

The grenade went off and the sounds of hissing could be heard, which means the Aragami was blinded again. Good.

Kota went around a corner and threw another flash bang behind him, not stopping for anything.

After more than a few minutes of running around, Kota leaned on a ruined hut, gasping for breath. He was pretty sure he lost the Aragami by now. But unfortunately, he lost Erina's tracks as well. His earpiece was destroyed when he dodged a swing from the Kongou earlier, falling off his ear and getting crushed under the spider-thing's large foot.

Kota sighed. How did this all happen? This was supposed to be a simple reconnaissance mission: check what's going on and report back to base, nothing else. But everything went wrong, he froze against the Aragami, Emil got hurt, and now he lost Erina's tracks. Their equipment wasn't suited for fighting, only scouting.

But the most concerning thing was he froze up, in the middle of the battlefield. He was a captain and he shouldn't freeze or even hesitate for a second. Hesitation means death for a God Eater. He was just lucky that Erina pushed him out of the way before he lost his head.

He has fought ferocious Vajras, hulking Ouroboroses, and even hordes of Ogretails that could easily overwhelm and swarm an entire Satellite Base.

He has fought Kongous before, too many to count. But why was he scared of this one?

Maybe because he was fighting an unknown, seeing that there was a spider-head coming out of its freaking mouth! Or maybe he is actually afraid of spiders and he just doesn't know?

Or maybe it was those eyes? Those dead eyes that stared into his eyes, into his very soul. The eyes felt tantalizing yet petrifying to him, like he was staring right in the void, both curious and terrified to know what's inside.

Kota shook his head from such thoughts. He needs to find Erina and Emil fast before the Aragami does. Or worse, more Aragami show up.

Kota stood up and took a random direction, crouching down and staying out of detection.

He just hoped the evac either found Erina and Emil first, or they found them first.

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_'Just keep calm, Erina! Evac is on the way. You just need to hide and wait for extraction.'_ Erina told herself, leaning on a wooden crate, Emil right across her, also leaning on a crate.

Both of their God Arcs were next to Erina, to the right was hers, to the left was Emil's.

The young man was shivering, his breathing fast and erratic. His face was in pain, sweat cascading down his forehead. His wounds were covered with clean – or as clean as its gonna get – cloth. The makeshift bandaging was clearly done by an amateur, being that Erina didn't know how to treat wounds.

Erina crawled up to Emil, placing the back of her hand on his forehead and recoiling from the sudden heat. "He has a fever..." She mumbled, looking around the abandoned house for anything that could warm him up, or even cover him from the cold.

She went upstairs, quietly walking on the wooden floor, careful not to make any sudden noises. She opened a door into a room.

She then found a dirty blanket over a bed. When she pulled the blanket off, she had to cover her mouth before a scream could get out. Tears already forming in the corner of her eyes.

In the bed was a human skeleton, too small to be an adult's, _too small_ to be a child's.

It was the carcass of a human _baby_, alone.

The body had a pillow over its face, covering their entire head. There were clear signs of struggle around the body, wrinkles all over the bed.

But who would kill a baby? Maybe out of spite? Or desperation?

Erina forced her eyes shut and took the blanket back downstairs to Emil. Speed-walking back and placing it over him. She then returned to her seat, hugging her knees close to her chest.

She tried thinking of happy thoughts, like when she and Emil would always fight and Captain Kota would be there to calm them both down. Or when she trains with the Captain of Blood, teaching her tricks and tips to fighting and hunting down Aragami.

Captain Amon would always teach her something new, and be patient with her, just like a teacher to their student. His teachings helped her a lot since he came to the Far East. And Emil would sometimes pop out of nowhere and tries to teach her something.

The keyword 'tries to'.

She never liked how Emil would blabber around about knighthood or being chivalrous. She still remembered how Emil told her how Captain Amon punched him across the face and he bounced around like a pebble through a pond. He said something about being a request by himself, but she was too busy laughing her insides out.

Erina giggled, completely forgetting about what she saw upstairs.

Amon and Emil were like older brothers to her, the former being more like a teacher than a brother though. While the latter acted like a goofy brother that always tries to impress her.

Amon is strong, caring and friendly to everyone he meets, especially to new people. He was far from what she thought Blood was when they first came to the branch.

While Emil was loud, eccentric and stubborn, in a good way. He would treat her like a little girl, taking extra precautions whenever they go on missions together.

Remembering one time when Amon and Emil rescued her from a pack of Aragami. She was dumb to think that she could fight off a whole pack all on her own. Luckily, Amon and Emil got there in time before she got harmed.

She still remembered it like it was yesterday. Amon fearlessly charging into the horde, scythe swinging and bisecting everything it hits, while Emil provided cover fire.

She wanted to be like that one day, someone who could face danger without fear, someone who was strong enough to protect the people they cared for.

Someone like the Captain of Blood Special Forces, Amon.

How he would smile like everything was going to be okay. Or whenever she was down or mad, he would always lend her his ear, talking to her and comforting her. She loves seeing that smile of his, a smile that made her smile too.

Erina's face brightened up, a smile gracing her lips. She never thought about guys like that before, especially if they were her teacher. But whenever she was near Captain Amon, she felt happy, really happy.

She was happy too whenever Emil or Captain Kota were around, but it didn't feel the same with Amon. She didn't know when this started to happen, it just did.

Erina's train of thought was then interrupted when her earpiece turned on. She quickly stood up and pressed her fingers on the communicator. "Erina of the First-Unit! Do you read?" She asked.

_"Yeah, Erina. We're on the way, so hang tight and make sure Emil is alright, okay?"_ A very familiar voice said to her, relief washing all over her.

"Captain Amon?! You're here?! I thought you were still in the Infirmary?" She said through her earpiece, a relieved smile on her lips.

"Still kinda am, but let's talk about it later. The rest of Blood – except for Julius and Livie – is waiting at the extraction point to get you guys out of there." Amon replied. "Sending the coordinates. But be _careful_. There's a medium-size Aragami rooming around the area. But don't worry, I'll guide you every step of the way."

"Right!" Erina pulled Emil on to her back and carried her God Arc in her hands while Emil's was placed in the gap between them. "But what about Captain Kota?! Is he there yet?"

"Unfortunately, he isn't. But don't worry. Ciel and Romeo are searching for him as we speak. So, just worry about getting to the extraction, okay?"

"A-Alright!" Erina stuttered, hoping that her own captain was okay.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Walking down a small, snowy road in the village, Romeo and Ciel looked around for the lost captain. Using Romeo's Blood Power, they avoided any unnecessary contact. But there weren't any Aragami to be found, not even any Ogretails or Cocoon Maidens.

None. The village felt desolate and abandoned.

"This feels... strange..." Ciel mumbled to herself, her weapon in its gun-mode. "I can't sense any Aragami in the area except for one."

"Maybe they ran off?" Romeo asked, carrying his God Arc on his shoulders. "I am using my awesome Blood Power! So maybe I scared them off?!" Romeo boasted, flexing his arm.

"Romeo, your ability doesn't work like that, remember? Your power only _slows_ down the Aragami in the area to the point where their senses are dulled significantly." Ciel reminded, checking the insides of a house.

The house was slightly charred, with broken wood scattered everywhere in the snow. There were even bullet casings scattered in around the area. It looked like the scene of a battle.

"Hey, Ciel! Found somethin'?" Romeo asked, walking next to the silver-haired girl. "... What happened _here_?" He asked out loud, referring to the destroyed structure in front of him.

"I think we're close to finding Captain Kota. Keep your guard up, Romeo." Ciel said, exiting the house. She turned to her earpiece. "Captain, we might have found clues on the whereabouts of Captain Kota."

"Great! But please be careful out there, the both of you. The medium-size Aragami seems to be growing into a large one." Amon told her through her earpiece.

"Wait. You mean the Aragami is _mutating?!_" Ciel asked, shocked to hear the sudden change of size-class. "How is _that_ possible?"

"We're not sure ourselves, but avoid contact with it until we figure it out, understood?"

"Understood, Captain Amon." Ciel turned to Romeo, who was drawing on a wall with a piece of burnt wood. "Romeo, let's proceed."

"Right!" Romeo said, throwing the wood behind him and following close behind the Vice Captain.

Unbeknownst to the two of them, something was watching them from atop a wooden watchtower, its mandibles clicking and dripping some type of mucus. When the mucus touched the wooden floor, it immediately disintegrated upon contact.

The creature eyes were filled with hunger and anticipation, sharpening both of its scythe-like claws with each other.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

A captain sneezed from the cold, wiping the mucus off his nose with his sleeve.

Kota has been walking around the cold for almost half an hour now, avoiding detection from the Aragami that was hunting him. He used the houses and buildings as cover or shortcuts around the village. So far, he hasn't been able to get even a single clue where they were. He was currently in the snowy street of the – seemingly large – village, blowing into his hands to warm them up.

He needed to find Erina before that spider Aragami does. Erina can't protect herself while she's busy protecting Emil too. He just hoped they made it to the evacuation area.

Kota then suddenly turned around, pointing his gun from the sound he just heard. There was nothing behind him except his own tracks and snow, so much snow.

He shrugged his shoulders, doing a quick sweep before turning around and proceeding forward.

He then bumped into something, knocking him into the snow. He raised his head and saw six-pairs of eyes staring back into his own, mandibles clicking and dripping saliva just over his feet.

Before he could raise his gun and fire, a spiked-spider leg stabbed itself in between his legs, just missing his crotch by a few mere inches.

Kota paled.

The spider thing tilted its hairy head.

A bullet then suddenly pierced through the side of the spider's head, blood spraying out of two of its freshly-made wounds. It screeched in pain, thrashing and swinging around its scythe-like appendages, almost decapitating Kota a few times if he didn't duck around them.

An oversized, orange sword then slammed into the spider's side, making a deep gash and throwing it like a ragdoll into a wall. The spider tried to retaliate, but one of its spiked-limbs was blown right off, losing its balance and falling down on to the ground with a loud thud.

Kota raised his head, seeing a blonde, young man wearing orange giving him a hand. "Dude, let's go!" Romeo grabbed Kota by the hand and pulled him up.

Ciel continued to riddle the spider with bullets from afar, standing atop the roof of a house. But no matter how many times she fired, the spider Aragami's wounds would heal rapidly, her bullets doing as so much as slowing it down.

She cursed under her breath, transforming her gun back into a short-sword and rejoining with Romeo and Kota back on the ground.

Kota aimed his gun at the regenerating Aragami while Romeo brandished his sword at the thing as well. Both were at the ready, waiting for the thing to make a move.

And it did, by giving out a loud, ear-piercing screech before quickly scurrying away, using its long legs to climb and crawl over buildings.

"... What was _that_?" Romeo said, removing both of his hands on his ears. He winced when he heard a slight ringing, having been in the front and taking the full on brunt of it. "Ugh! My ears..." He groaned, massaging both of them.

"Don't know or care, actually..." Kota sighed, turning to the blonde. "Thanks, by the way for the save."

"No problem!" Romeo gave him a thumbs up. "Glad to help."

Ciel then joined them, her expression serious. "We need to hurry to the extraction! Captain Amon told me that _more_ Aragami are coming this way." She informed, getting nods from both boys.

As they were about to leave, an Ogretail suddenly popped out of nowhere and roared at them, charging with its maw wide open.

"We don't have time for this!" Kota aimed his gun at the Aragami, about to fire, but suddenly the spider Aragami, that took off earlier, swooped in and tackled the small Ogretail to the ground.

The Ogretail tried to thrash around, but a spiked-limb pierced through its open eye, and another piercing through its neck. It gave off a weak groan before slumping on the ground, the spider Aragami tearing chucks of flesh out and shoveling it down its mouth.

"We're surrounded!" Ciel said, now noticing Aragami were also behind them. She brandished her blade at the Aragami.

There were different kinds of Aragami, from claws ready to rend flesh, to teeth salivating to tear bone. Each were more than eager to begin the feast.

The others were ready to fight, but it was better to avoid any conflicts all together. They were in a bad position. Either they try and kill a regenerating spider Aragami, or fight through a growing horde of Aragami and risk an exhausted Captain Kota.

Romeo then noticed something by the corner of his eyes. "Over here!" He shouted, running into an alleyway, the others taking a spare glance at the feeding spider before following suit into the shortcut.

The Spider, after devouring every morsel the Ogretail could offer, turned to the Aragami that were gathering in the other end of the street. Its mandibles clicked and hissed, eyes glowing with hunger.

The Aragami sniffed the air, smelling nothing but human meat in front of them. They gave out their own respective roars before charging at the Spider.

The Spider jumped over a red, wolf-like beast and landed atop its body, scythe-like limbs digging deep into the wolf's neck. It gave a hearty pull before the entire head of the wolf was severed off its neck, blood spraying on to the floor.

An Ogretail pounced at the Spider, but it found itself impaled through the head by a spiked-limb. It slumped to the floor when the limb pulled itself out and impaled another Ogretail through the eye and out the other one.

The Spider then used the Ogretail stuck in its spiked-limb as a club, smashing and swatting away any more Ogretails that came near it. Another red wolf charged at the Spider, its body engulfed in flames.

The Aragami arachnid jumped high in the air, avoiding the charging wolf and then impaling an unfortunate Kongou through its back when it landed, all six limbs.

It then used its scythes to hook themselves into the Kongou's eye sockets, giving a mighty pull before tearing the head off. It held the head through its mandibles and jumped off the Kongou corpse, landing atop a broken house.

The red wolf howled at the Spider, its gauntles emitting heating up before exploding, the recoil sending it flying straight at the Spider.

The Spider, having eaten the head in its possession rather quickly, was tackled by the wolf, knocking it off the house and both of them landing back into the street. Wood and snow flying everywhere.

The wolf bit down on the Spider's head, trying to crush it between its sharp teeth, digging deep into its fragile cranium. The Spider started to stab the wolf with all of its limbs, some even going into one of the wolf's eyes.

The wolf Aragami then increased the force, hearing a loud hiss and a crunch. The Spider's limbs went limp, blood running down the wolf's jaw.

Victory was _theirs_.

It raised its head and was about to howl in victory, but a spiked-limb pierced itself _through_ its exposed neck, tearing off a large chuck of it, coloring the white-snow red.

More and more spikes pierced into the wolf's body, tearing chucks out and mutilating it, painting the ground redder with each thrust. The Spider's body then began to grow and mutate, assimilating itself into the wolf's body.

Flesh torn and mended, bone and armor cracked and reused. The two bodies merged, becoming one with each other.

Tendrils of black sprouted out of the two bodies, latching on to any corpse they could find. The tendrils pulled the bodies into the growing mass of Aragami flesh. Little by little, the mass changed and shifted into something else.

A large spiked-claw came out of the flesh and stomped onto the ground, sending literal tremors through the village. Two maws combined into one howled at the moon's brilliant light, teeth fanged and hooked, mandibles vibrating.

Its six-pairs of slitted-eyes watched as a distant helicopter flew away, the doors shutting close, with a person looking out of its many windows.

A pair of blue eyes stared back from the flying contraption, eyes filled with disgust and curiosity.

The machine left from the beast's field of vision, disappearing into the moon's light.

Suddenly, the creature felt an overwhelming wave of instinct wash over it, covering its entire body. It raised its head high up in the sky, its mandibles wide and flared up. It the released an earth-shattering roar, the fragile homes of the village flying and falling apart from sheer wind-pressure alone.

There was only one thing that the creature was thinking, and it was slowly driving its instinct insane. Its blood curdled and screamed at it to sate the instinct's only desire.

**_"Hunger...!"_**

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**Author-San: Sup! Hope you guys enjoyed reading. Now, see you guys next four months – it's a joke by the way – and stay cool!**


	4. Chapter 4: Punishment

**Author-San: Hello! Back again to deliver a new chapter. Enjoy!**

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**{Chapter 4: Punishment}**

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A finger tapped on a table.

A throat gulped a lump down.

Sakaki rested his chin on the back of his hands, elbows resting on his table. The silence deafening and unsettling. His grin nowhere to be seen, only a frown replacing it.

"Captain Amon, do you know why I've called you here?" He asked the captain in question, sitting just across him.

Amon had a cold sweat run down his forehead, with a sheepish smile on. Right after Blood rescued the First-Unit, he was about to run to the heli-pad and greet them, but he was immediately called upon by the Director before he could get the chance.

Good thing Emil was sent to the infirmary immediately upon them landing and was reported to be in stable condition. Sadly, he was going to be left on leave for the next couple of days from now.

But in other news, he was now wearing his usual clothing, except for the fact that his black jacket was missing, being that it was almost ruined beyond repair. But Livie offered to sow it up anyways, or at least salvage what's left of it.

She really did like sowing stuff, if he recall, especially his ruined clothing.

In the matter why he was here, there was almost a _million_ reasons: going solo on dangerous missions, doing anything in his power to avoid paperwork, the_ Ketchup and Gravy_ incident, tricking the nurse of discharging him early to monitor his team at least, and many, _many_ more.

Seriously, though, those could be considered his _light_ offenses.

"Um, because of my winning personality?" Amon joked, tilting his head and shrugging his shoulders. He was only greeted with cold silence. "... In my defense, I thought Yae wasn't going to believe me, I swear!"

Sakaki perked up. "What about Nurse Yae?" He asked, but eventually shook his head. "No, Mister Amon, you aren't in trouble for anything." He said.

Amon sighed in relief, his tense shoulders finally relaxing, and letting him sink into his chair. "Well, then, what _did_ you call me for?"

"This." Sakaki gave him a tablet, on it was a report. "And do not worry, this isn't extra paperwork, Captain Amon. Just simply read what is says, will you?"

And Amon simply did that, he read the report, his eyes narrowing with each sentence read. "... What is this?" He asked the director, his expression serious.

"This, Mister Amon..." Sakaki grabbed the tablet from the captain and pointed at something in the report. "Is the report I have just received from the America Branch, a branch that is _halfway_ around the world. This report says that an unusually strong Bias Field Pulse happened just about a month ago near one of their outposts, sightings of stronger, bulkier Aragami appearing out of nowhere and killing more than a dozen of their God Eaters, the same Aragami you have fought before you were sent to the infirmary." He explained, his expression slowly turning grim. "Stronger, larger, and more vicious than the regular species, with the same red, glowing eyes you have described seeing."

"So, what does that suppose to mean? The Aragami are evolving again?" He asked, unsure of what he felt inside his stomach right now.

"Look at this, Captain Amon." Sakaki gave him a few papers, some with sketches of a black wolf with four arms growing out its back. "I requested a copy of the recorded Bias Field Pulse they experienced a month ago. I... I don't know what to say. After checking it at least ten times now, I can say... they are practically identical..."

"Identically to what?"

"Identically to _your_ Blood Power, the power of _Evoke_."

"... What?!" Amon felt an extremely cold sweat run down his forehead, his heart skipping more than a single beat. "_My_ Blood Power? It's the same?!" He asked.

"Yes, Captain, it is. I couldn't believe it at first, but the comparison is uncanny, to say the least." Sakaki said to the captain. "Before you were enlisted as God Eaters once more after... being reborn, if you will, you said you and the others encountered Arc Aberrants with similar abilities as Blood, correct?"

Arc Aberrants were just as their name described them to be, Aragami with abnormal characteristics and abilities that are considered to be deviants to their species. They have God Arcs – the same weapons that God Eaters use – fused to their bodies.

They are considered to be even more dangerous than their normal counterparts.

"Yeah, why?" The young captain asked, confused at where the Director was going with this. "After being separated inside the Spiral Tree, the others told me they saw Doctor Rachel – except for Nana – saying things like how the Devouring Apocalypse would finally free humanity from suffering and be reborn as something greater." He explained. "And after meeting with her, black butterflies would come out of nowhere and a Arc Aberrant, a monster that was similar to their Blood Power, would appear."

Recalling back to when he was just starting out as a God Eater, he would never have imagined anything special happen during his career, especially how high the body count for God Eaters were.

But the events that led him to this day said otherwise: him losing a close friend, being promoted to Captain after Julius – the previous captain – left for seemingly selfish reasons, the time when he and the rest of Blood had to fight off a literal resetting apocalypse off while they prepared their own apocalypse to counteract it.

And in all of that chaos and destruction, a spiraling tree of hope was born, with his friend Julius inside, fighting a literal apocalypse off for his friends and family. Peace was spread out to the world.

But the peace wouldn't last forever.

Something happened to – many have began to call – the Spiral Tree, a danger that would put the remaining bastions of humanity to extinction. He and Blood had to fight through the insides of the Spiral Tree, facing powerful Aragami, and their own demons.

At atop the tree, was but a single person waiting for them to arrive, to witness the birth of a God.

Doctor Rachel Claudius, the creator of Blood Special Forces and the P66 Bias Factor, Blood Bias Factor.

Or what she _refers_ to herself as, the Mother of Blood.

She was a brilliant scientist, creating God Eaters that could combat the growing threat of Psions, Aragami that could control and force other Aragami to do their bidding.

But she was also the prophet of a so-called God.

Everything she did, everything she planned, she did it all to appease a god talking to her inside her head. Thousands of people died for her machinations, for her madness. She has done inhumane and terrible things to humanity as a whole.

All was seemingly loss for mankind, until a single, bright light pierced through the darkness and shined hope once more to the people.

With the combined strength and sacrifice from Blood and other God Eaters, they defeated Rachel and prevented the Devouring Apocalypse a second time. They saved humanity from total annihilation.

For the price of reverting back into humans once more.

Really though, Amon wouldn't have guess – or more like dreamt – _any_ of this happening when was just starting out as a God Eater.

Sakaki nodded. "Yes, I've heard. But let me ask you: have you ever encountered an Arc Aberrant that was similar to _your_ abilities? Or something akin to that?"

Amon tried to speak, but no words would come out. No matter how hard he tried to remember, only his friends – except for Romeo and Livie – had Arc Aberrants with the perverted versions of their own Blood Art.

Romeo at the time was... But Livie wasn't considered as a member of Blood at the time, and Doctor Rachel may have forgotten or didn't care about her, deeming her a failure. Those Arc Aberrants they fought were specially made to combat him and the rest of Blood.

Ciel had a Kyuubi – a fox Aragami – with the ability to read and target the weakest of the team.

Gil's had the ability strengthen its own attack, and the Aragami around it.

And Nana's was just a stronger variant of Kongou, with the added strength of a Boost Hammer.

But why doesn't he have an Arc Aberrant counterpart?

Or maybe...

"... You think that weird Bias Field Pulse could have been _my_ counterpart's, an Aragami that was specifically made to kill me, and only me?" Amon questioned, realizing what the Director was referring to. "Either you're growing – no offense – senile, Director, or Doctor Rachel made _another_ backup plan just in case."

"I wished it was the former – and none taken – Captain. But after going through the Aragami corpses that we recovered after your endeavor, I'd say the latter is the most likely option." Sakaki said. "And what's worse, that same Arc Aberrant that caused trouble at the America Branch, could possible roaming here at the Far East. I have no clue nor explanation on how it got here, but I do know this..." He leaned forward to the captain. "It's most likely trying to find you, Captain."

Amon groaned, sinking down to his seat. "So, another monster wants to kill me, but not just any monster! A monster that was specifically designed to hunt me down and kill me..." He sighed, feeling a migraine coming down. "If I were older, I would have emptied a bottle of scotch right now, or two..."

"I apologize for this inconvenience, Captain, I really am. But after going through the database and doing some extensive research, I came up a few theories on what this Arc Aberrant could possibly do." Sakaki took a stack of papers from under his desk and gave it to the young captain. "To summarize, this Aragami could very well have the ability to strengthen other Aragami's abilities, basically awakening them to their full potential, something akin to your Evoke ability." He explained.

"Aragami that can make other Aragami turn into total monsters, go it!" Amon nodded, taking a quick look through the papers handed to him. "So those Ogretails I fought... the Arc Aberrant, like,_ awakened _them or something?"

"Well, more like forced them to..." Sakaki answered, slightly confusing the captain. "Whatever that Aragami did to those Ogretails, it somehow made them stronger but at a cost _too great_ to bare." He explained.

"What cost?"

"Like a well-oiled clock, every Oracle Cell in the Aragami must work in equilibrium with its Core, the brain of the Aragami. If the Core of the Aragami commands it, the Oracle Cells must follow. But with what that Arc Aberrant did to them, the Oracle Cells were forced in a blood-frenzy of some kind, lashing out at any foreign cells that weren't its own." The Director explained. "The Core would lose control of its own body, slowly being absorbed into the sea of Oracle Cells, until the Aragami ceases to function without its core."

"So you mean those awakened Aragami I fought would have eventually died?" Amon asked, feeling slightly unnerved that he fought them for absolutely nothing.

"Yes and no." The Director answered. "Yes, they would eventually die from over exertion, but they would make sure to pull anything, and everything, in their path down with them before dying."

Amon sighed, slightly glad his efforts weren't in vain. "So, what now? Are we going to hunt down that Arc Aberrant and kill it before it can cause more trouble?" He asked the Director, a feeling of minor excitement from fighting a new Aragami.

"If only it were that easy, Captain." Sakaki said, removing glasses and wiping some accumulated dust off them. "We tried everything to track the Aragami down, but nothing would work. We tried using different kinds of pheromones to lure it out, nothing but other Aragami would come out. We tried using the scanners and did a full sweep in the entire Far East, but couldn't get a pin-point location where it is." He placed his glasses back on his nose and stared deep into Amon's eyes. "No matter what we did, the Aragami would never show itself, leaving at best a few tracks."

"Great..." Amon slumped back into his chair, his arms limp on his sides. He was already a bit stressed out from hearing that there was something out there hunting him, with the added thought of not knowing what was hunting him. And what's worse is this might endanger the people around him, especially his unit.

"... If I may ask, Captain: what seems to bother you right now?" Sakaki asked, getting a incredulous look from the captain. "No, let me rephrase that question. Are you afraid of facing that Aragami _alone_? If my cognition is correct, your team cares deeply for you, as you care for them. Will they not help you in your time of need, Captain?"

Amon opened his mouth but not a single word came out. If someone in Blood was in trouble, they agreed to themselves to never face it alone, to always have faith in each other, and trust one another.

So If they trust him, then he's gotta trust them in return.

"No, I'm not..." Amon stared back at the Director, his eyes filled with resolve and determination. "I'm not afraid, 'cause my team got my back covered, like I got theirs, Director Sakaki." The grin on his face was threatening to split his mouth open.

"Of course! How silly of me to ask..." Sakaki chuckled to himself. The young captain reminded him so much of another young captain he knew, the former Captain of the First-Unit, Kota's predecessor. "You can go now, Captain. If you are ever in need of assistance or help, don't be afraid to ask."

"Yes. Thank you, Director Sakaki." Amon nodded, solemnly. He stood up and left without another word.

After the young captain left, Sakaki's grin faltered, his mind deep in thought. "Johan, my friend, could this be another trial the world has put on us mortals? Or could this possible be the day of our judgment...?" He asked no one in particular, looking into space, as if waiting for an answer.

Only time will tell now.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

A girl with black hair's breath was hitched, pleasure spiking through her whole body. A pair of strong arms were exploring every crock and cranny of her body, loving caressing her, making sure to savor every moment of skin contact.

"C-Captain Amon! W-We shouldn't be doing this...!" She squirmed under the captain's touch, her body giddy with both happiness and pleasure.

"You're so perfect, Urara..." Amon whispered through her ear, his hot breath sending shivers down her spine. "Your beauty could drive _any_ man insane..." He huskily said before nibbling her ear.

The young captain pressed his body onto hers, her body being squished between Amon's toned body and the room's wall. His fingers dancing all around her, sending a soothing rhythm of pleasure through her entire body.

"S-Stop...!" Urara moaned, her body heating up even further. "W-What if someone sees us...?"

"So what? I wouldn't care if someone sees _us_, especially with how beautiful you are, Urara..." Amon said, his head deep in her neck's cranny, deeply inhaling her scent. "You are intoxicating..."

Urara squeaked, feeling a pair of hot lips kissing and gently sucking her neck, sending more pleasure down her spine. Hands slowly trailing up her thigh and gently squeezing them.

She tried to moan, but her lips were successful captured into a deep and passionate kiss. Amon's tongue enthusiastically exploring her mouth, dominating her own tongue. Lust and excitement racing through the kiss, feelings of happiness overwhelming Urara's senses.

Suddenly she woke up.

In her own room.

Hugging _and_ kissing the pillow next to her.

She quickly stood up from her bed, wearing her loose, green pajamas with polkadot-bananas. Her face burning brighter than the sun itself, steam already coming out of both her red ears.

She tried forgetting about the dream she just had, but her mind would always pull her back, remembering how the Captain of Blood was holding her, caressing her like a lover, his kisses pelting her exposed skin, how his warm lips were on her soft-

Urara smacked herself across the face before her mind could go there, blood already leaking out of her nose. She grabbed the nearest pillow and screamed into it, releasing all her frustration into it.

After her little episode, Urara dropped back first into her bed, sinking deep into its soft embrace. Her face was still flustered from the dream.

Amon, Captain of Blood Special Forces, one of the top God Eaters in the Far East, or possibly Fenrir. He is considered to be in par with veteran God Eaters, possibly better than them in combat proficiency.

He is a God Eater, saviors who devour the gods themselves for humanity.

While she is a simple Operator, someone who works behind the front lines and manage God Eaters.

A God Eater and an Operator are two different people.

They are too different...

"... Can a God Eater and an Operator be together?" Urara asked herself, a hand placed on her chest, just over her own heart. "Why am I like this...?"

She wasn't sure when these feelings for the Blood Captain developed, but she was sure he was one of the main driving points for her trying to be the best Operator she can be. How his words and encouragement would sweeped away all of her doubt as an Operator.

When she first started out as an Operator, people from her own hometown called her a lunatic for wanting to do anything with Fenrir, especially associating with people called God Eaters. The only people who supported her were her own parents and close relatives.

From where she came from, God Eaters are treated as bad omens. Wherever a God Eater is, death and destruction isn't far behind.

But after meeting the people from the Den, they were wrong. God Eaters aren't bad or evil, they were brave and courageous people, fighting tooth and nail for humanity, even if the odds are stacked against them.

And certain God Eaters inspired her to be the best Operator she can be.

An Operator are the eyes and ears of a God Eater, they were just as important as a God Eater. Her senior, Miss Hibari, proved that.

She just wished Miss Hibari would just give Mister Tatsumi an answer already. It was just painful to watch him try and impress her senior, even for her.

Urara giggled, recalling one time when he tried writing and singing a song for the senior Operator. It was clear it didn't end well, evident that her senior's face was a shade of red for a whole day and a half.

"Wonder what song Captain Amon would sing to me...?" Urara unconsciously muttered. And after a second thinking what she just said, she screamed into the pillow she was still hugging, her voice muffled out.

Done with her pillow-screaming, she turned to the side and looked at her clock.

It was almost _eight_.

She was running _late_.

Without a second thought, she ran into her bathroom, changed into her uniform, and booked it out of her room. A rice cracker with jam hanging off her mouth.

She was running down the hall. She needed to get to the Lobby before-

"Oof!" She suddenly bumped into something hard and sturdy, knocking her down to her rear-end. "Oww...!" She rubbed her head, feeling a small bump forming.

But she then noticed that a tall shadow was looming over her, blocking out the light. She gulped and looked up.

An incredibly tall – taller than Mister McLaine – man wearing a long, black, metal-studded trench-coat and black, leather pants with steel-toed boots, stood over her. His face was hard to discern because his hood was overshadowing his entire face, the only prominent feature was the small locks of brown hair sticking out of the hood.

Urara tried to stand up and apologize but her legs felt weak, she felt small against the giant of a man, literally. It was like a lion staring down an ant.

The man stared at her for a full minute before he extended a hand to her. She was hesitant at first, but Urara quickly took the man's hand, easily dwarfing her own small one. He then pulled her up with almost minimal ease, as if she weighed less than a feather.

_'It's cold...' _Urara felt the man's hand was freezing, almost deathly cold. But his hand was huge and muscular, and if he wished to, he could easily crush her head like a grape with one hand. "T-Thank you very much! A-And I'm sorry for bumping into you!" She bowed at the man. Even standing up, he was still tremendously taller than her.

The man looked at her for while before walking pass her, not uttering a single word, his heavy boots making loud thumping sounds with each step he took.

After the man's footsteps were out of hearing, Urara raised her head and released a loud sigh of relief. She then looked at her hand, the one she used to take a hold of the man's bigger hand.

It felt like she stuck her hand into a _freezer_.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Gilbert McLaine, respectable member of Blood Special Forces and God Eater of the Far East Branch. Considered to be a highly-skilled veteran against the Aragami. And because of that experience, many young God Eaters come to him for advice or help.

"You want me to _what_?"

"I said: I need you to train with me, Gil." Amon, Gilbert's captain, repeated, his face serious.

Currently, they were on a small cliff overlooking a small part of a ruined city. Everything here was either dead, rotting, or an Aragami eating anything they could find.

And on the reason why they were here, reports say that Aragami activity was starting to spike-up in the surrounding area. Nothing serious, only small hordes of Small-size to Medium-size Aragami.

Amon found it was a good way to get some training in while thinning out the horde. A win-win situation.

"Even though I'm your captain, I'm still lacking the experience of a veteran God Eater like you. There's a clear line between skill and experience, you know?"

"Yeah, I heard you the first time. But why me, though? Why not the others?" Gil asked. He wasn't saying that they weren't close, it was the opposite actually. But the others were as close to the captain as him, probably closer if he included how the girls were acting around the silver-haired scythe-wielder.

"Gil, c'mon! Do I need a reason for me and you going out and getting _rough_ and _sweaty_ with each other?" Amon asked. "No need to be shy, man. We're both dudes. It's okay for us to go out and get some much needed _stress relief_, right?"

"... _Context_. How many damn times do I need to tell you! Context!" Gil reminded, face in his palm while it was a mix of pale-white and red.

"We can even take _turns_! I go first, you go last, agree?"

"Stop it, dammit!"

Amon laughed at him, probably finding his reactions tremendously amusing. He would always do this, making perverted innuendoes that were out of context. "Come on, Gil! Don't be like that." He slung an arm over the older God Eater's shoulders.

"... Yeah, right." Gil stepped away from the captain and placed his God Arc on his shoulders. "But are you sure you're okay? It's only been a few days since you've been discharged. I think we should call this off before something happens." He suggested.

The Captain frowned. "Gil, I know you're older than me, but that doesn't mean I'm a child trying to play hero or something ridiculous. Trust me, I'm fine!" There was a growl hidden in his tone, Gil knew it.

"But what if something-!"

"Gilbert _McLaine_, this conversation is over." Amon walked pass the older God Eater and jumped down from their starting point, landing with practiced ease. "Now get down here before I kill the target... Again!" He laughed before racing off, leaving trails of dust in his wake.

Gilbert sighed while massaging his temples. Whenever Amon was serious or mad, he would always call people by their full name, no matter how ridiculously long it is.

But that doesn't change the fact that he was still worried for the captain. At times he would notice him spacing out more than usual lately, staring at a wall for more than an hour before one of them knocks him out of it or something.

He just wished that Amon wasn't going through something harsh without them knowing... or worse, a _phase_.

Gil shuddered in horror. "W-Wait up, goddammit!" He shouted back to the silver-haired teen, giving chase.

When the two God Eaters left, _something_ slithered pass the shadows.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_Making the last touches on his equipment and gear on his personal terminal, Amon was about to leave his room, but instead he met a certain red-hooded girl about to knock on his door, a neatly-folded black jacket in her grasps._

_"Livie? What are you doing here?" He asked, but then he noticed that she was just standing there, fidgeting. "Is something the matter?" He asked again, worried for the big sister of their Unit._

_Livie, unbeknownst to the captain, was frozen in place, embarrassed from being caught about to knock on his door, her fist only inches away from his abdomen._

_She tried formulating a response – anything, something – but nothing but a blank slate came up in her head. _

_"No. Nothing is wrong, Captain Amon. Thank you for asking, sir." She said the very first thing that came in mind in a professional manner, but there were hints of nervousness in it._

_Why was she nervous? Ever since she could remember from being a God Eater for the Intelligence Center, she was never nervous. In her line of work, even an ounce of hesitation would lead to harm or worse, death._

_So, why was she so nervous at the man in front of her when she could face a mountain-size Aragami without blinking?_

_When they first met, they didn't see eye-to-eye. She acted cold and stern around him, while he either ignored her or looked at her funny. To say their former relationship was bumpy was an understatement. They practically hated each other's guts, waiting for one to slip up and the other to reprimand them._

_But, eventually, their animosity for each other started to wane, to the point they could talk to each other like normal people. At that time, she saw him as a reliable God Eater, someone who you could trust in the battlefield when something went south._

_She didn't notice at first, but as time went on, she found out that the man in front of her was... odd, to say the least._

_One time when she was looking into the personal information files of all the God Eaters of the Far East branch, she noticed that two files were practically blank except for their names._

_The first one was a person named Kigurumi, a mysterious God Eater who wears a giant purple bunny suit wherever they went. The file didn't even say if they were male or female._

_But the second file was the one that caught her attention._

_Amon, Captain of Blood Special Forces. Climbing up the ranks until finally becoming a Captain after the previous one was said to have resigned their position. No last name and place of Birth. No records about any blood relatives in any of the existing Satellite Base. Zero background information about his life except his time serving in the branch._

_As if he just suddenly appeared out of nowhere and decided to became a God Eater on a whim._

_So, she dug deeper, gathering any information she could get on the young man._

_All she got was how kind and friendly he was to everyone, helping them out with their problems without any of them asking him in the first place. But the only thing she got unusual about him was... he's bloodthirsty, a thrill-seeker, taking insane and impossible missions on his own and returning without a scratch. A few of them even called him an insane sociopath that hungers of for blood and battle._

_But the most intriguing part of his character was his God Arc, or how he designed it._

_Many people don't know is that God Eaters could add modifications to their personal God Arcs, giving them an already added edge against the Aragami._

_The best example of these mods were the ability to either increase overall damage output, or double their ammo capacity, and many more._

_But his God Arc was different. Instead of making it stronger and more lighter to swing, he added absurd and ridiculous mods to it that were useless for a normal God Eater._

_There was a mod that lets God Eaters siphon off Oracle Cells in their surroundings or in the Aragami they're fighting. They then use that stored up Oracle Cells to either recharge their Oracle ammo or heal themselves._

_But the downside to this was the mod was only accessible through Burst Mode, a special ability that lets God Eaters awaken a small amount of their God Arc's unbridled power._

_And he, Amon the Captain of Blood Special Forces, outfitted his God Arc based on that same healing mod, and improved it from there._

_In short, every time he went into Burst or was hurt, all his wounds and injuries would heal almost instantaneously. Even if he doesn't attack the Aragami, he would still continue to heal and fight on._

_He could win any battle of attrition with his God Arc._

_That's why he was given the name, the Unkillable Reaper, by his peers._

_"Livie? Earth to Livie?" Amon asked while he snapped his fingers in front of her face. "Are you sure you're fine?" He then suddenly placed both of his hands on his and her forehead, making the girl blush from the contact._

_"Y-Yes! I am well and healthy, thank you for asking again, Captain." She responded, lightly slapping the hand away from her forehead._

_Amon frowned but only for a second. "Livie Collete, your wellbeing is as important as everyone else's. If there's something bothering you, don't be afraid to talk to me or the others about it, 'kay?" He said, his expression serious. "I'm just worried about you, Livie." He said it with a sincere smile._

_Livie, for her part, tried her hardest not to feel embarrassed. All superiors worry about their subordinates, it's normal. But she can't help but feel touched at the silver-haired teen's words, feeling butterflies in her stomach._

_"Y-Yes. Thank you for the offer, but I am truly fine, Captain Amon." She responded, cursing herself for the stutter._

_Amon's smile widened. "Well, as long as you're okay, I'm good." He shrugged, leaning on his door frame while he crossed his arms over his chest. "So...?"_

_"Oh! Ah, yes..." She showed the folded jacket in her grasps, slightly wrinkled from her tight gripping. "This is for you..."_

_"My jacket? Done already?!" Amon took the jacket and inspected it, turning it over and around. "Wow, Livie, you work fast..." He whistled, seeing that his jacket looked practically brand-new, just like when he first bought it._

_"Do you... like it?" Livie asked, a bit hopeful._

_"Do I like it? Livie, I love it!" He unfolded the jacket and went to putting it on. "Snug like a bug..." Amon muttered to himself, happily smiling like a child receiving their Christmas present early._

_Livie then smiled as well, the smile making her feel warm. "Well, then, I'm happy you like it, Captain."_

_"Livie, you don't need to call Captain when we're alone. Just call me by my name, Amon." He gave her one of his best smiles._

_"Y-Yes... I will, Capta – I mean, Amon." Livie blushed, rubbing the hems of her dress. "Well, I'll be off then, Amon." She turned and was about to leave, but a hand suddenly grabbed her shoulder from behind._

_"Hey! Wait a minute. I have something you might like." Amon said before going inside his room, closing the door behind him._

_After a while, he came back outside, both of his hands behind him, a smile threatening to split his face wide-open. "Now, close your eyes, please?" He asked nicely. "And while you're at it, can you just put your hands in front of you?"_

_Livie rolled her eyes in amusement. She closed her eyes and did what her captain wanted. She then felt something light and fluffy placed on her hands, subconsciously causing her to give it a light squeeze._

_"You can open your eyes now..."_

_And when she did her eyes, she felt her entire being flooded with warmth while her heart skipped a beat._

_In her hands was a simple rag-doll plush of herself, the eyes being buttons while the smiling mouth was a simple line of black thread. The doll was soft to the touch and, somehow, warm._

_It was adorable._

_"It took me almost three months to gather the material and make it. You wouldn't believe on how much time I've spent trying to get the hang out of sewing. What you do is no joke." Amon said, his face flushed while he scratched the back of his head. "It's a gift from me to you. I hope you like it." He explained, refusing to make any eye contact with her._

_She could feel it, the tender love and care for making the doll in her hands. Even though the doll looked crude and uneven, in her eyes, it was the most beautiful doll her eyes laid upon._

_Because it was made by her friend, it was already special to her._

_Friend... That didn't sound right to her._

_"... Thank you, Amon... for the gift, I mean." Livie said, hugging the doll close to her chest, feeling the warmth passing through her and reaching her skipping heart. "I will forever treasure it."_

_"Well, then I'm happy you like it, Livie! And thanks for fixing my jacket, by the way." Amon said with a smile. "Like, seriously, if you weren't a God Eater, you would make an awesome tailor!" He complimented, missing the growing blush on the girl's cheeks._

_She simply nodded, lowering her head and trying her best to cover the raging red on her face. She took a glance at teen and saw that he was far too busy appreciating – something that made her stomach do flips – the newly-fixed jacket to notice her._

_"Umm... Livie?" _

_Said girl raised her head, staring at the teen's garnet-red eyes. "Hmm?" She tilted her._

_"W-Well... Maybe as thanks for fixing my jacket, maybe we could... you know..." Amon's face was slowly turning flushed, blood running up to his cheeks. "M-Maybe I could buy you dinner when I return from today's mission... If it's okay with you, of course!" _

_Livie blinked, then another... and another._

_Was... Was he asking her on a date?_

_Livie's face instantly turned red, a bit of steam already coming out of her cheeks. "I-It's okay! This gift is all the thanks I need, so you don't need to do that." She reasoned, trying to control her embarrassment. _

_She knew he was just trying to be nice, no ill-thoughts about it. But that didn't change the fact that he was trying to ask her on a date, especially if they were superior and subordinate._

_"N-No, I insist! Plus, that doll is meant as a gift to you." Amon said. "... C-Can you please just accept my offer. This is getting real awkward now, Livie." He bluntly stated, but the still present blush on his face betrayed it._

_She was reluctant at first, but she soon caved-in. She slowly nodded to the teen, her blush also growing. "... O-Okay..." She quietly accepted, but it was loud enough for the young captain to hear._

_Amon smiled at the response, his blush instantly disappearing like it was there in the first place. "Great!" He went out of his room and closed the door behind him. "Welp. I'm pretty sure Gil getting annoyed for waiting up on me."_

_"I'm sorry..."_

_"Don't be! But in actuality, I should be thanking you. You know, for fixing my jacket and all..." Amon gave a nod to her, his smile wide and bright. "Well then, I'm off. See you later, Livie."_

_Livie also gave him a nod, the gift clutched tightly to her chest. After the teen left, she stared at the doll, softly stroking it from top to bottom. She could feel her heartbeats quickening but it wasn't a bad thing._

_The warmth and comfort the doll gave off, it was nice. It felt like she wasn't alone, not anymore._

_She kinda likes this feeling._

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

A long, red-glowing, black cleaver sung through the air, cutting flesh and armor with relative ease. The cleaver retracted back into a scythe and swung itself deep into a charging, white, two-legged beast, two halves separating with one another and tumbling onto the floor with a red, wet splat.

Amon jumped back from a burst of condensed air aimed at him, charging back in at the bronze, ape-like Aragami and cutting a deep wound through its stomach, almost splitting the thing in two. He then raised his shield just in time to block a spear heat stabbing itself onto the ground, exploding into a torrent of hellfire.

The blast knocked him into the air but he extended his red-glowing scythe and vertically spun around, the blade hitting a white, serpent-like Aragami's eye out and effectively blinding it.

The white serpent roared at the heavens in pain, but a giant pair of serrated-jaws snapped around its torso and lifted it up in the air, the fangs drawing blood.

Amon made his God Arc's Predator Mode chomp the Aragami in half, the two halves falling to the ground while his weapon devoured its core with unending hunger. The upper half of the body tried to lift itself up, but a scythe soon found its way deep into its cranium, silencing – temporarily – it

The silver-haired teen sighed, looking around the area. The place was littered with blood and slowly disintegrating corpses – except the serpent with a hooked-blade currently stabbed inside its skull – of different beasts and monsters.

The fight... it was almost laughable. None of the Aragami he killed so far came close to the two Ogretails that demolished his ass. He saw their moves by a mile away, they were slow and clunky. The only Aragami that did give him some difficulty was the one who had his scythe stuck in its brains right now.

Amon pulled out his scythe and then slammed it back down onto the serpent, seeing that it was already starting to move again. The regenerative ability of a Hannibal was always annoying to him.

_Annoying..._

He would have never imagined calling one of the most fiercest beasts of the Aragami species, a monster capable of striking fear into the hearts of God Eaters, a nuisance, or anything less.

He could still remember how a single _Kongou_ was already too much trouble for him, rolling him over than a few dozen times before he could land a proper hit on one of the slippery bastards.

And now, he can kill a horde of them by himself in under five minutes. One precise, killing blow was all it took to kill an Aragami for good, not until they spawned back from the earth and wreck havoc once more.

Amon looked at his arm with the armlet around his wrist, clenching and unclenching it tightly. He could feel the Oracle Cells swimming through his veins, giving him the power close to a god. It felt incredible.

But it wasn't enough.

It wasn't enough for him to defeat those two Aragami, the two that almost killed him if it wasn't for the power of his Evoke ability; Blood Rage, an ability he uses on large, dangerous Aragami, not small fry like them.

He will grow stronger, stronger than ever before, for his friends and companions.

For Gil, his friend and God Arc-tuning buddy.

For Nana, who he cares dearly like a sister.

For Romeo, the optimist and also who cheers him and every one of his friends in the Den up.

For Ciel, his very first best friend and Bullet Editor partner.

For Livie, the big sister of the group and his fellow God Arc scythe-wielder.

For Julius, the former Captain of Blood and someone he could almost call brother.

And for everyone else, for every God Eater, Operator and living person in the Far East Branch.

He would – no! _Will_ become strong!

And like hell he'll die before getting a girlfriend! He can't die a virgin!

"Oi! Will you stop shouting like an idiot in the middle of nowhere?! You might attract even more Aragami!" An annoyed voice shouted at him. "Or maybe you're doing it on purpose..." Gil – who has finally arrived to the scene by following the trail of corpses – accused, pointing a finger at the young captain.

"W-What?! No...!" Amon stuttered, a tint of red covering his cheeks. Yes, he was indeed shouting in the open while he was doing an inner monologue inside his mind.

And no, he wasn't trying to attract more Aragami to him... _Maybe..._

"Anyways!" He spun around on his heel – but not before hitting the Hannibal on the head again, just for good measure – and placed his hand on his hips while he shouldered his God Arc. "What took you so long? I kinda got bored and went ahead." Amon asked the older God Eater.

"You do remember you left me, right?"

"I did no such thing!" The young captain lied while doing one of Emil's – in – famous dramatic poses. "My dear Gilbert! Mine heart aches for such an accusation! Do you not have faith in your wise and handsome leader?!"

He responded with an exasperated sigh, massaging his temples while contemplating on either hitting his captain on the head or just leaving him here by himself.

He is really edging on the former, right now.

"Come on, Gil!" Amon gave the older God Eater a hard pat on the back, which knocked the air out of him. "Look, how about this, when we get back, I'll buy you a drink, okay?"

"... But you aren't old enough to drink."

"I said: I'll buy _you_ a drink. I'm not drinking." He said. "But don't tell the girls I bought alcohol, I might get an earful by them."

To him, alcohol was really weird and tasted weird to boot. But, hey, _different_ people, _different_ tastes, right?

Gil rolled his eyes in amusement, already picturing the scene in front of him. "Yeah. And you better keep that promise." He passed the teen and stood in front of the trembling Hannibal, still trying to stand up while it was slowly regenerating.

"Gil, when have I ever lied to you?" Amon grinned while Gil pointed his God Arc at the Aragami, the maw of his spear's Predator Mode already sprouting out.

Then everything happened so fast.

At first, Gil was about to devour the Hannibal's special organ that could help it regenerate multiple cores, but suddenly dark, spiked tentacles sprouted out of the ground and latched on the roaring Aragami, tearing it apart and pulling it underground.

The only thing that was left was a bloody hole where the Hannibal laid.

"... What was _that_?" Gil questioned, slowly backing away from the hole, his guard raised and ready for anything.

Amon's eyes then widened, spinning around and cutting three tentacles behind him in half with his extended scythe blade. The sliced-off appendages writhed in pain before digging themselves back underground.

"Gil, stay on guard! It can attack us from underground!" He warned, slicing a few more tentacles with his scythe.

"Got it!" Gil responded, shifting his spear into a rapid-firing gun. He pelted the tentacles with bullets until they were nothing but holes. The damaged appendages then quickly burrowed back underground and new ones resurfaced in their place.

Then suddenly dozens of tentacles bursted out of the ground, surrounding the two God Eaters. They tried dwindling their numbers, but with each appendage lost, three more would take its place.

"Gil! Higher ground!" Amon shouted, extending his scythe and carving a way through the thick wall of tentacles. Red danced around him, both from the glow his God Arc gave and the blood he spilled.

"Right!" Gil ran through the opening, using his God Arc to shoot any stray limbs near him. He then jumped onto a old, destroyed car and used it as a springboard, jumping up and onto the roof of a nearby building. "Captain! Over here!" He shouted at the captain, taking aim and providing cover.

The silver-haired teen raced through the bullet-peppered appendages, slicing and cutting any of them in his way. He then mimicked what his companion did and landed next to him, his God Arc resting on his shoulders while he was lightly panting.

At first they thought they were safe, but suddenly the larger, thicker tentacles sprouted out of the ground and wrapped themselves around the building they were standing on, the infrastructure threatening to break under the pressure.

"Gil, shoot those things off the building. I'll call in support." Amon ordered, already turning his comms on.

The veteran God Eater nodded, running up to the edge of the roof and firing a hail of bullets upon the dark appendages.

"Far East, this is Captain Amon. Respond." He said through his earpiece.

_"This is the Far East. Sitrap, over." _The familiar voice of Fran went through his ear, giving him some sense of relief.

"Far East, God Eater McLaine and I are under attack by multiple unknown Aragami hostiles. Requesting assistance, over." Amon said. Then suddenly the building started to shake, the roof tilting over one side. "And if possible, _immediately!_" He dropped his comms and ran up next to Gil.

Over the edge of the roof, hundreds, maybe even thousands, of small tentacles surrounded the building, with the larger ones grasping the structure tightly.

"Gil, what's the situation here, buddy?" The young captain asked, transforming his scythe into a cannon and then firing into the ocean of tentacles, blowing up only a small section.

"They just keep comin'! They're endless!" Gil responded, unloading clip after clip of bullets at the appendages.

"Just keep them preoccupied! Help's coming!" Amon said, suddenly turning around, shifting his God Arc back to melee mode and then slicing a large, spiny tentacle about to grab him in half. "Position is compromised!" He said, slicing through any tentacle that made it up to the roof.

Gil unloaded all of his ammo until his gun clicked, telling him that it was out. He growled under his breath and transformed his God Arc back into a spear, stabbing and slicing any tentacle that came near him.

Amon swung his extended scythe around, the blood-red glow it poured out blurred in the air, chopping five or more tentacles into pieces with each swing he made, sweat starting to accumulate on his forehead.

Even though he was discharged early from the infirmary, he could still feel the sores and aches in his body screaming out to him stop, begging him to slow down. But he persevered and went on fighting.

He just needed a little _boost_.

Pulling the end-part of his pole-arm, jaws of black and sharp, serrated teeth sprouted out of his God Arc. The Predator Mode chomped up and devoured a few Aragami tentacles, the rush of power already flowing through him like second nature.

All the aches and sore he felt instantly disappeared. He felt invigorated, like he was ready to take on everything and more.

Amon smiled widely, the rush of battle flooding his sense. He rushed through the roof and jumped off, slicing and dicing any unfortunate tentacle that stood in his way. Before he could land onto the ground, he shifted his God Arc and fired an explosive shell in the middle of the ocean of Aragami flesh. Blood and gore showering from the explosion.

He then landed on the crater his shell made, extending his glowing scythe and swinging it all around him, turning himself into a hurricane of blades and blood.

Any unfortunate limb that crossed his path was instantly turned to mincemeat, with only a few getting lucky hits in, cutting and painting his body in lacerations. But he healed quicker than the wounds they could make to him.

He ripped one out of the ground, using the spiny tentacle in tandem with his scythe, cutting and smashing anything to pulp. He then threw the severed appendage away, instead using both of his hands to grab his scythe.

Cutting one in half and then kicking it into another, the spikes impaling themselves in the unfortunate tentacle's soft flesh. Another got lucky, piercing his leg, possibly cutting an artery.

Instead of a cry of pain, Amon grabbed it and swung his scythe down like a guillotine. But more and more tentacles started to grab him and latch their spines onto his flesh, the liquid inside his body pouring out from the wounds.

Amon cackled at their pitiful attacks, the wounds closing up without any problems. He went on slashing, kicking and punching any tentacle that came near him to death. He was now starting to bathe in red, not that he minded.

All external sounds were cut off from him, only the beating of his heart and the flow of his blood through his veins could be heard.

The exhilaration was slowly driving him _mad!_

"Captain Amon!"

Then suddenly, like a trance, he snapped out of it, turning his attention back to the top of building where his companion was. Blood and limbs littered the ground he stood upon, nothing but red stained the dirt. His once silver hair was now dyed red, a few drops dripping off his strands.

"Snap out of it, dammit!" Gil roared, holding off a spiked appendage that was slowly trying to push him off the edge with the pole part of his God Arc. He pushed the limb away and thrusted his spear into it, metal meeting flesh.

Unbeknownst to him, a tentacle was slowly slithering up the structure behind him.

"Gil, look out!"

But it was too late.

Gil did turn around, only to get impaled through the abdomen by the appendage. His eyes widened in shock while blood was starting to drip from the corners of his mouth. He then started to cough out his own blood, his eyes unsteady.

He tried to use his God Arc to cut it off, but suddenly the tentacle lifted him up from the ground and threw him off the edge.

To Amon, everything seemed to slow down, all the color in the world draining away except for the _red_ coming out of his friend's wound. He tried to scream out Gil's name, but he heard no sound, nothing.

He made a mad dash to him, trying to catch him before he fell. He severed and sliced anything that got in his way, carving a path for himself.

Then suddenly a pair of jaws erupted from the soil, its large, black teeth surrounding him in a circle, trapping him inside.

But that didn't matter to him, reaching out with his God Arc in his right arm, hoping – no, _praying_ to himself that he reached Gil before he hits the ground.

Then the jaws snapped shut, light vanishing in an instant.

Along with his right arm.

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**Author-San: Did I just kill off my own OC? I just killed off my own OC!**

**Holy crispy-cream donuts, I was not expecting to write something like that when I sat down on the toilet this morning. But still, I'ma gonna need a new OC!**

**... What? They're all dead as well? Well shit!**

**But nevermind that. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. And to tell you the truth, I'm kinda sorry for doing that Lime scene or whatever they call it. It kinda struck me for some odd reason.**


	5. Chapter 5: Loss

**Author-San: Hello! Here's a another chapter for ya'll's reading enjoyment. Enjoy! **

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**{Chapter 5: Loss}**

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A pair of blue eyes shot open, lifting himself off the bed in an instant, frantically looking around his surroundings. His breathing was rapid while sweat dripped down from his chin.

He was in a white room, on a perfectly white, comfortable bed, the sterile air assaulting his nose, making him scrunch it in his displeasure. He was in the infirmary, that much he could tell. He also wasn't wearing his usual clothes, instead donning a medical patient's dress.

Then the memories came crashing down on him, making him quickly touch down to his stomach. He was met with the feeling of soft cloth wrapped around his torso, only a few aches coming out of it.

He could still remember it. He got impaled through his abdomen and thrown off a building, his life blood flowing out of his fresh wound while he heard his name being screamed out. Then everything went dark.

He tried to push himself off from the bed, only to find out that he was incredibly weak, making him lose his grip and fall face-first onto the ground.

"Dammit...!" He cursed under his breath, feeling a bit of blood dripping down his possibly broken nose.

Then the door to the infirmary opened, a certain silver-haired and silver-eyed girl quickly walking in and helping him up his feet.

"... G-Gil..." Ciel's voice was different somehow, almost like it was more devoid of emotions than usual. "Sit. You need to rest." She said, or more like demanded him to.

Gil's raised a brow at her, confused at her behavior. "Uh... Ciel? Are you alright?" He asked, but she didn't answer him, putting him back onto his bed. "Ciel?"

"What happened?" Ciel suddenly questioned, her eyes locked on him, as if he was going to run or something.

"... What?" Surprised at the sudden question, he felt something was off with her today, something real off. "Ciel, what do you mean? Where's the Captain? Is he okay?" He asked.

"Gil... Please... _What_ happened?" Ciel's voice croaked, the bangs of her hair overshadowing her eyes. He could see tear stains on her cheeks, raising his concern higher.

"Ciel, are you okay? Why were you cryin-"

"What happened to Amon!?" She suddenly shouted at him, fresh tears dripping down her cheeks. Her eyes were puffy and her nose red, while her hands were balled into fists. "You were _with_ him, right?! So, please tell me that he _isn't_ dead!" She cried out, nothing but a mix of despair and slight hope in her eyes.

Wait... Did he hear that right?

"... Ciel, calm down first and I'll tell you everything I know, okay?" Gil said to her, but he too was trying to calm himself down.

Amon, his close friend and Captain, dead? That's impossible! There is no way he's dead. He can't die. He has fought scarier and stronger Aragami on his own. A few tentacles can't possibly take the supposed Unkillable Reaper down, they just can't!

After a while, Ciel finally calmed down, albeit with her silver eyes red from all the sobbing. She was now sitting on a chair next to Gil's bed, fidgeting her fingers.

"Ciel, can you tell me _everything_ that happened, right before you guys found me, please?" Gil gently asked. He too wanted to know what happened after he fell unconscious, especially if it involved something happening to his captain.

Ciel nodded, recalling the events that happened two weeks ago.

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Ciel and the rest of blood were on one of the faster helicopters the Far East had, their expressions grim while they held their God Arcs tightly. No words were exchanged inside the flying vehicles, nothing but the engine was heard.

Right after Fran informed them what happened, they immediately dropped anything that they were doing and deployed, getting on the helicopter and ordering the pilot to fly them over where they needed to be.

_'Amon... Please be okay...'_ Ciel prayed, her grip on her God Arc tightening. She was running every possible scenario in her head, to the least and to the worst thing that could possibly happen.

"God Eaters, we are at the target location! I just need to _land_ this puppy and-"

Julius didn't let the pilot finish before he slid the heli's door wide open and then jumping out of the helicopter. The others didn't think twice before following their former captain's example.

Everyone was free falling from the sky, quickly descending from the sky in high speed. As the ground was closing near, they prepared themselves for landing.

Ciel transformed her God Arc into a sniper rifle and used it to shoot the ground, using its recoil to slow her descend.

Nana deployed the booster on her hammer and fired it up, using it to slow herself down.

Livie extended her scythe, latching onto a nearby building.

Romeo deployed his large, tower shield and prepared himself for impact.

And Julius simply landed on his feet, cracking and breaking the asphalt under him.

The members of Blood then quickly regrouped with their former captain. The moment they came together, Julius started to run in a direction, a blackbox with a tracking system for Armlets in his hands. And the others weren't far behind, chasing after him.

Any Aragami they encountered along the way were quickly dispatched of before they could realize what was happening.

And when they finally arrived at their location, they saw something that made their blood run both cold and boil.

Gil was laying on the ground, face first, a puddle of blood around him. But they noticed that their captain wasn't around anywhere.

"Ciel, Livie, check on Gil while Romeo, Nana and I search for the captain." Julius ordered, already running off with the two in tow before the other two had a say.

Ciel and Livie quickly ran up to Gil and kneeled down, turning him over on his back. She gasped while Livie grimaced at what they saw.

Gil had a fist-size hole in his abdomen, blood still continuing to seep out of it. But slowly it was closing up, so much faster than a normal human could, but slower than a usual God Eater can do.

Ciel pulled out a small medical kit from her skirt pockets. She first cleaned the wound and bandage it up. This was the best she could do before they could get him back to the Den.

As an added insurance, Livie hovered her hands over his bandaged abdomen and used her Blood Power on him, boosting Gil's healing factor.

**_Thud._**

Suddenly they both stood up, their God Arcs in their hands. The sound they just heard came from a nearby building that saw better days, cracks and missing stone decorating the infrastructure. For a second, nothing happened.

But then _something_ fell from the building, causing a loud clang upon contact with the ground.

The fallen object was a God Arc. But not just _any_ normal God Arc, it's the God Arc of someone they knew.

It was Amon's God Arc.

Ciel's eyes widened, running up to the fallen Aragami weapon. "Ciel! Wait!" Livie shouted at her, but she ignored her and kneeled over the God Arc.

Good Harvest, the name Amon gave for his God Arc. Gone was the usual shine of silver and black, replaced with a paint of soaking blood dripping off its blade. Even though it was covered in blood, it was still in pristine condition, like it wasn't recently used.

But if his God Arc was here, then the owner isn't far behind.

Hope swelled up in her chest.

"Livie, this is the Captain's God Arc. He might be nearby!" She turned around and faced the red-hooded girl. "You stay with Gil while _I_ search..." She trailed off, noticing that Livie wasn't listening to her.

Julius and the others were coming back, in the former captain's hands was something wrapped up with white cloth, red liquid dripping from it. But she also noticed that their expressions were grim, with Nana sobbing softly on Romeo's shoulder while he tried to comfort her.

"... Julius... W-Where's the captain?" Ciel asked, fear gripping her heart like a python.

"... I'm sorry..." Julius walked up to her and gently handed her the cloth. "This... This is what we could find..."

Ciel stared at him for a second before she slowly unwrapped the cloth.

She immediately dropped it to the ground.

She then dropped to her knees, tears already forming in the corners of her eyes.

Wrapped in the cloth was an arm with a black Armlet...

She let out the loudest scream she could.

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Tears dripped down onto the floor, Ciel's sobs were the only sound heard in the room. Gil had a grim look on his face, his hands balled into fist while he gritted his teeth. "Goddammit!" He roared and punched the wall next to him, making a fist-size hole.

How is this _possible_?! Amon dying is as impossible as pigs _flying! _He could heal faster than everyone one of them combined. He could match any ferocious Aragami with the same amount or greater ferocity. He has fought a literal world resetting apocalypse, for god's sake!

How... How could _this_ happen?

Was... Was this _his_ fault?

Did Amon die because of _him?_ Just like how Kate died trying to save _him?_

Is Amon's death on _his_ hands?

"S-So... Please, Gil, tell this _isn't_ true! Tell me that Amon is alive and well, hiding somewhere." Ciel questioned, holding him by his shoulders. "Amon _can't_ die!" It was obvious that she was growing hysterical.

Even if he was alive, without his Armlet, the Oracle Cells inside his body will eat him from the inside-out, or worse... He'll turn into an Aragami.

Gil knew that Ciel was in love with the captain – that much was obvious – but she was either too scared or embarrassed to admit it.

But she wasn't the _only_ one that was in love with the young captain.

He couldn't imagine what the others are experiencing right now, how it might be slowly eating away at their psyche. If Ciel was this emotional right now, then the others might be _worse_.

"Gil... Please..." She croaked out, hoping on the older God Eater's response.

But it only broke her heart further.

"I... I don't know what happened to Amon..." Gil said to her, his hair shadowing his eyes. "Before you guys found me, One of those suckers got me and I fell unconscious before I could see what happened, Ciel... I-I'm sorry..."

"No..." Ciel abruptly stood up, knocking her chair down, and slowly backing away from Gil. "No... No! You're lying, Gil! He's still _alive_! I know it!" She shouted at him, tears freely flowing out of her eyes. She was trembling, her knuckles turning white from her gripping her fist tightly.

"Ciel, without his Armlet, then Amon is-"

"_Shut up_! You don't _know_ that! He is still alive somewhere, finding a way back home as we speak!" Ciel tried to lie to herself, but it only made her tremble more. "I don't believe you or _anyone_ else!" She ran out of the room, her tears of pain and sorrow trailing behind her.

"Ciel! Wait!" He tried to reach out to her, but she was already gone. His hand slowly slid down to his side, gripping the edge of the bed tightly, metal bending under his grip, threatening to break.

Tears dropped to the floor. Nothing but pain and guilt filled his heart.

On this very day, everything changed.

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Three months, it has been almost three months after Amon, the beloved Captain of Blood, passed away. The funeral done in honor of the captain was painful and filled with nothing but grief, almost everyone, from God Eaters, to Branch's Staff and a few civilians that knew the captain, attended the service.

Almost everyone changed after the funeral.

Ciel was now colder to everyone, including to her friends. Even though she looked emotionless on the outside, she was a total wreck in the inside. Whenever he passed by her room, he could hear soft weeping from the inside. As vice-captain, she was promoted as the new Captain of Blood.

No one celebrated the promotion.

Nana was now less attentive to her surroundings, spacing out more than ever. Sometimes she would even ignore people talking to her. And because of that, she was now clumsy before and during missions.

For Livie, she rarely left her room, only leaving if it was necessary or she was asked to be on a mission. And when she did leave her room, she is always seen holding a small doll of herself next to her chest, her hands refusing to let it go.

Romeo, on the other hand, tried to cheer them up, but no matter what he did, nothing worked on them. All he received was a cold glare from Ciel while the other two simply ignored him or didn't listen to his words.

Julius acted strong in front of the others, but he too was affected by the Captain's death. And as a way to cope with it, the farm he and the others built became his own safe haven. Sometimes he would stay on the Grounds for a few nights before coming back to the Den.

And he, Gilbert McLaine, blamed himself for everything, just like how Kate died because of him. He didn't talk to people that much anymore, avoiding people except his friends in general. He was sometimes found in the Lounge area, a bottle of scotch in his hands, drinking from the bottle. He became a frequent visitor.

He was only sober when on missions or on meetings. But as soon as he's finish, he would go straight back to the Lounge, drowning his worries away with alcohol.

When was the last time since he tuned his God Arc? Or more importantly, how many bottles has he emptied today?

He already lost count _after_ three.

But here he was, still sitting on one of the stools, empty bottles surrounding him while a half-filled one was in his hands. He was about to take another swing, but a pair of small hands pulled the bottle away, eliciting a groan from his mouth.

"Gil, please! You've had enough already!" A childish voice scolded him.

A small girl was currently holding his bottle of scotch in her small fingers. She wore clothes reminiscent to a cute child-cook, wearing a white apron with a pink flower on it.

"Mutsumi, please... I'll leave _after_ I'm done with that, okay?" Gil tried to reach out to the bottle in her hands, but she pulled it further away from from, making him growl in frustration.

"You already said that after you drank the last one, _and_ the one after that!" Mutsumi continued to scold the older man. "Either you go back to your room and rest, or I'll _never_ serve you food ever again!" She threatened with a pout, staring him dead in the eye.

Gil glared at the little girl before standing up from the comfy stool, swearing to himself while he left through the door. He always hated how she would take his alcohol away from him. But fortunately, he has a stash hidden in his room somewhere.

But he was knocked out from his musing when he accidentally bumped shoulders with someone, almost knocking him down. "Hey! Watch it will you!" He growled at them.

The person he knocked into was a man – that much he could tell from their physique alone. He was almost a head taller than him, wearing a black, leather trench-coat. There was a hood on his head, so he couldn't see his face, but he could see short locks of brown hair sticking out like a sore thumb.

Both of them stared at each other for a while before the tall man turned and was about to leave, but Gil grabbed him by the shoulder with a strong grip.

"Hey! I'm not done talking here!" He shouted at him and tried to forcefully turn him around.

He soon found out the man didn't move a budge, it felt like he was trying to move a mountain around with his barehands. And because of being tipsy, he instead removed his hand on from his shoulder and balled it into a fist, swinging at the tall man's face.

But his arm was grabbed mid-swing by a large hand, only inches away from hitting the man's face. Gil tried to pulled his arm away, but the man's grip was too solid.

"Let... Me... Go!" Gil gave his arm a hard pull, only for the man to do what he was told. The momentum from the pull made his slip on his feet and fall down on his arse.

He groaned on the floor while the trench-coat wearing man left, going through the Lounge's door without uttering a single word.

"Asshole..." Gil cursed, pulling himself up from the floor. His shoulder was really numb from bumping into the man and his rear-end felt sore.

But all that pain couldn't compare to the emotional wounds he felt, new and passed ones.

After pulling himself up, Gil was about to go to his room and get a drink, but someone stepped in front of him, blocking his way. Another groan escaped his lips when he noticed who was in front of him.

"Oh, Valiant Gilbert McLaine of Blood! I, Emil von Strasbourg, was sent here as a messenger by a our good-willed Director to fetch you!" Emil, the annoying God Eater – to him – of the Far East, said to him in his usual boisterous tone. "If you are so kind, dear Gilbert, please follow me to the Director's office!" He was about to march away, but he was grabbed by the shoulder.

"Hold on a damn second, will you?!" Gil growled at the wannabe knight, his frustration from before showing. "Either tell me first why the Director needs me, or I'll kick your ass 'till you're red and blue." He threatened him, making sure to tighten his grip.

"Oh! If I recall correctly, he said about needing you and the rest of the Knights of Blood to go on a courageous quest to slay Aragami!" Emil said, completely missing the point that he was being threatened. "But we need to make haste! Dear Erina needs me to help her train today... But to tell you the truth, I... I worry about her..." He trailed off, seemingly lost in thought.

Gil raised a brow at the wannabe knight, a little confused on the sudden mood change. "Huh? What about her?" He asked.

"Ever since the... unfortunate passing of Sir Amon, my dear sister, Erina, has been training harder than usual for these pass months." Emil explained, his expression downcast, a total opposite to his normal mood. "As fortune persists, nothing grave has happen to her yet. But I still worry for her condition."

Erina der Vogelweid, the youngest God Eater he has met thus far. They weren't that close as friends, but they were on friendly terms. He still remembered how she would ask him about combat advice, being that they were both spear-users. Unfortunately, his advice didn't stick with her, making her switch with Amon instead.

If he recalled, she and the silver-haired captain were pretty close.

"Look, maybe she's going through a phase or something. So, give her some time and it'll pass, okay?" Gil waved it off, already going to the elevator in the lobby. "Plus, she's just a kid. Being a God Eater isn't all about sunshine and rainbows. People die... It's better you get used to it and move on with your life..." He reached in and was about to the press the button.

"In the words of Sir Amon, 'people aren't defined by what they achieve or do, they are defined by their mistakes and how they solve them'..."

His finger stopped only inches away from the button. "What...?" Gil growled, his entire form trembling. "What the hell do you know about Amon...?" He snapped at the wannabe knight.

"Ever since Sir Amon passed away, you and the Valiant Knights of Blood changed, Sir Gilbert..." Emil said, his expression serious. "Sir Amon wouldn't have wanted to see you all like this..."

Suddenly Emil was lifted up by his collar, an angry Gil glaring daggers at him. "Shut the bull-crap, asshole!" He said with every ounce of venom he had. "Are telling me it was my fault why he died?! Is that it?!" He continued to hold him tightly around the collar, his glare not once faltering. There were hints of hysteria and regret swimming in his eyes,

Emil tried to respond, but he was slowly being choked by his collar, slowly losing consciousness.

Before the knight could fall unconscious, someone placed a strong grip on Gil's shoulder. "Gil, let him go." Julius ordered, his look stern.

"And what, Julius?! This guy has been babbling and shouting about knights and courage since the very start! It's starting to piss me off!" He shouted harshly. "If he wanted to play Knights and Castles, then he wouldn't have join the God Eaters in the first place!"

"Gil, enough!" Julius snapped, now glaring at the older God Eater. "I won't repeat myself. Let. Him. Go. McLaine."

Gil glared at the former captain before scoffing, releasing his hold on the blonde knight and letting him fall on his rear-end. Emil was gasping for breath while he massaged the sores on his neck.

"... Whatever." Gil muttered to himself, passing by Julius and pressing the elevator's button. As soon as the doors opened, he went in and pressed the floor where the Director's office is at.

When the doors finally closed, Gil suddenly punched it with his fist, bending the metal and cutting his knuckles. He gritted his teeth in anger and frustration, his entire form trembling.

But that anger slowly turned into sorrow, sounds of sadness and guilt escaping his mouth.

He hated this, _all_ of this.

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The door to the Director's office was pushed open, Gil entering the room without a word. His hat overshadowed his eyes while he leaned next to the door.

"You're late..." Ciel, the new captain of Blood, bluntly said to him. Gone was her usual twintails, replaced with short, silver hair that only reached to her shoulders. "I hope this doesn't become a habit, Gilbert." She commented, her tone cold and stern.

He didn't give her a verbal response, a nod was enough. He slightly lifted his hat up and looked at everybody in the room.

Everyone from Blood and the Director of the Branch was here right now. But everyone looked different.

Livie's clothes and hair were disheveled while she held a small doll of herself next to her chest, her grip tight enough to choke a full-grown man to death.

Julius – who somehow arrived earlier than him – looked the same in terms of clothes, but now he looked more tense than ever, his guard always up.

Nana was sitting on one of the sofas in the office, her mind probably somewhere else right now. She was also absentmindedly munching on one of her homemade oden sandwiches, her face full of crumbs.

Romeo looked more normal than everyone else, sitting next to Nana while he fidgeted with his fingers, flicking any crumbs that landed on him.

"Director, why have you called us?" Ciel questioned the oldest man in the room.

"Yes. But before that, Mister Leoni, if you were so kind..." Sakaki gestured to the absentminded Nana, who was still self-absorbed in her own thoughts.

"Oh! Right..." Romeo grabbed the sandwich out of her hands, bringing her back from her mind.

"Hey! I was eating that!"

"Sorry to intrude on your meal, Miss Kozuki, but this matter must need your full attention, all of you." Sakaki said, looking at everyone one of them. "I do hope you understand, Miss Kozuki." He finished with his usual grin.

"Hehe, sorry about that. I... kinda spaced out there..." Nana giggled, scratching her head while her face was blushing from embarrassment. "Wait a minute... How did I get here again?"

"Moving on!" Sakaki turned to the captain of the Unit. "And on the matter why I've called you all here, this subject will likely concern every single one of you..."

"What do you mean, Director?" Julius asked, confused.

"Julius, Blood, before Mister Amon's passing, has he confessed something to you, all of you?" He asked, his question seemed to innocent but there was a motive in it.

"No. No, he hasn't, Director Sakaki." Ciel answered.

"Nothing at all?"

"Nothing." Ciel confirmed. She too was confused at the Director. She wasn't sure what the Director was going at, but it didn't feel good. She looked at her team for confirmation.

Every one of them shook their heads. Nothing, the captain didn't say anything about something.

"I was afraid you might say that..." The Director muttered to himself, his grin gone and replaced with a disappointing frown. "He might have thought about facing it alone without all of you knowing." He said out-loud.

"Facing _what_ without us knowing?" Gil questioned for the first time since he arrived. "What the hell are you talking about, Director?" He pushed himself off the wall and abruptly placed his hands on the Director's table, a scowl visible on his face.

"Gil!" Ciel was about to scold him, but Sakaki raised a hand to her.

"It is alright, Miss Alençon, this is my fault for not foreseeing this might happen and not informing any of you sooner." Sakaki said. "Tell me, Mister McLaine, three months and two weeks ago, you and Mister Amon encountered an unusual type of Aragami, correct?" He asked the older God Eater.

"Yeah. Why?" Gil removed his hands on the table and crossed them over his chest. "A bunch of spiny tentacles that could sprout out of the ground like moles. I'm sure you've already read my report on it?" He sarcastically remarked, getting a glare from both Ciel and Julius.

"Yes, I have, Mister McLaine, as well as Miss Alençon's and Mister Fujiki's report..." Sakaki pushed his glasses up, now sporting his usual grin.

Now everyone raised a brow at the eccentric doctor. "What do you mean?" Romeo asked, trying his hardest not to hand over the oden sandwich in his hands while Nana tried to reach for it.

"Miss Alençon?" Sakaki called out.

"Yes!"

"During the rescue mission you and Blood were tasked with, you and Mister Leoni encountered an unusual Aragami as well, correct?" He asked the Captain of Blood. "A type of Aragami that has cross-characteristics with an arachnid and a preying-mantis?"

"Yes, we did encounter an Aragami with that description long ago, Director Sakaki." Ciel answered, getting the attention of Romeo. "But unlike most Aragami, it chose to attack others of its kind than pursue any of us when we escaped." She added.

"Yes. After re-reading both of your reports... I might have uncovered something frightening about those two Aragami." Sakaki said with a grim smile on his face. "If there _is_ a God in this world, have they finally decided to take matters in their own hands? Or it is something else entirely?" He stared in space, seemingly lost in thought.

Everyone stared at him, as if he has finally went senile from old age. "Uh... Director?" Gil waved his hand in front of him, snapping him back to reality.

"Ah! I deeply apologize for that. Now, where were we?"

"About uncovering something about those two Aragami you mentioned earlier, the ones who Ciel, Romeo and Gil fought way back." Julius reminded. This was the first time he saw the Director lose his composure, as if the matter about to be presented to them is something astronomical.

That sounded bad in his opinion.

"Ah, yes! As I was saying, Mister McLaine, the Aragami you and Captain Amon fought and the one Captain Alençon and Mister Leoni found... might very well be the same, a single being." Sakaki announced, surprising every single one of them. "And what's more worrying, scanners tell that the Aragami is still roaming the Far East."

Everyone had mixed emotion about this, ranging from burning-anger, to crushing-guilt.

To Gil, his mind was currently a messed. It has been three months since Amon died, so why were they being informed about this just now? Was is it because the Director knew they would be out for blood and avenge their fallen captain? Or is it because a full unit of Third-Type God Eaters was more valuable than avenging a single one?

He didn't know. All he knew that there is a dangerous Aragami out there roaming free while they sat on their asses like a bunch of squabbling ducks.

Before he lit a fuse, Julius stepped in and narrowed his eyes in suspicious at the Director. "It has been more than three months now, why are you telling us about this just now, Director?" He questioned.

"To tell you the truth, Mister Visconti, I was afraid that you all might seek revenge for your captain's demise. But I also cannot withhold this information from any of you either. You all deserve to know about this..."

"Then what the hell are we waiting for?! Let's hunt that bastard down and kill it before anymore people get hurt!" Gil exclaimed, slamming his fists on the Director's table. "If we wait any longer, we might lose this chance!" He roared, rage and fury filled his blue eyes.

He wanted nothing more but to hunt it and take it down like a mad mutt.

"Gil! Restrain yourself! Didn't you hear what the Director said?" Ciel scolded the older God Eater, a scowl visible on her face.

"Yeah, I heard. But I don't give a damn! And here I thought you would be on board after hearing this..." Gil remarked coldly, his anger taking over. "I'm sure Amon would have been sick to see you trying to hide like a coward!" He harshly exclaimed.

Ciel took a step back from his words. Her eyes widening and slightly losing their color. She tried to rebuke but no words came out.

"Gil!" Romeo exclaimed, shocked that his friend would say something so harsh.

"Oh shut up, will you?! You guys aren't any better! Amon is dead and the thing that killed him is somewhere in the Far East right now! Either we find it, or I'll go by myself!" Gil shouted at all of them, his body shaking in anger.

"Gil."

Gil turned his sights on Julius, nothing but unbridled rage in his heart. "What?!" He growled. "You too?! You want to just _forget_ about Amon? Sweep all of this under a rag and treat it like a goddamn _accident_?! He was my friend!"

"He was _our_ friend too, Gilbert." Julius snapped. He glared at him, but soon his eyes softened, filled with sadness. "Gil... I _know_ you blame yourself for this. I can see it in your eyes. It wasn't your fault..." He saw how the grown God Eater flinched, he was about to give him a pat on the shoulder, to reassure him everything was alright.

"Bullshit!" Gil growled, stepping away from all of them. "If you aren't going to do a damn thing, then I will!" He left through the door, his feet making heavy thuds with each step.

"Gil, wait!" Ciel tried to call out but he was already gone. A mix of emotions soon overwhelmed her, from anger to pain and guilt. "Is... Is that true?" She was referring to what Gilbert shouted at her earlier, rubbing her forearm, feeling the room drop a few degrees colder.

Was Gil right? Will Amon _hate_ her if he saw her like this? A coward hiding behind closed walls?

"No, Ciel. He didn't mean those words." Julius comforted her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "But we don't have time to lallygag. We need to catch up to him before he does something we might all regret." He said.

"... Yes, of course." Ciel nodded and turned to the Director. "Director, may we have your permission?"

Sakaki was silent for a second before responding. "Do what you and your team see fit, Captain Alençon. But do be warned, if you ever find yourselves facing this Aragami, I beg you, do not engage and retreat immediately, understood?."

"Yes. And thank you, Director!" Ciel then turned to the rest of Blood. "Let's go!"

"Right!" Everyone of them responded, following their captain's lead.

After everyone left, Sakaki removed his glasses and placed them on his desk, his black eyes staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. "Johan, Doctor Rachel, is this the beginning of an _Era_? Or is this God's judgement upon us mortals?" He asked no-one in particular.

Being a man of science, he was rarely afraid of anything. But after going over the files and the statistics about the Aragami he mentioned, he might as well be horrified at what he found.

In a world that gods forsaken, he prayed to anyone that listened to him that his calculations were wrong and he's finally going senile.

He has found _Pandora's Box_.

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Inside one of the many bedrooms of Blood, Gil prepared his equipment and gear for the journey ahead, packing up rations that would last him for a week or two. He also prepared a portable Bias Factor Kit just in case.

If the others weren't going to do something, then he does. He'll hunt the Aragami responsible for all this and make it pay with twice the blood.

As he was making the final touches to his gear on his terminal, he heard giggling from the room next to him. The room next to him was Amon's empty room, but it was impossible for anyone to get in.

Unless _someone_ broke inside.

Feeling anger well up inside him, Gil exited his room and kicked the deceased captain's door down, prepared to shout at anyone inside.

But he wasn't _expecting_ what he saw in front of him.

On Amon's bed was a short, well-endowed girl with messy, pink hair, wearing what looks like to be a male magician's getup, but pink and violet. She had bunny ears and a pink top-hat on her head, with one of the ears tucked underneath the hat. Her eyes were turquoise. There was a red Armlet around her right wrist, indicating that she was a God Eater too.

In her hands was a adult magazine, a perverted grin on her lips while occasionally giggling by herself.

Again, not what he was expecting.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Gil growled at the girl, snapping her out from her perverted fantasies.

"Oh? Are you the owner of this room? I must say, you really have some collection of _porn_ magazines, am I right?" She giggled, turning a page over and turning the mag sideways, a picture unfolding in front of her. "Damn! You got nice taste, dude!" She exclaimed, her grin widening.

"Give me that!" Gil snatched the magazine away, getting a pout from the girl. "This. This isn't yours." He placed the mag down on a table, accidentally getting a glimpse at one of the magazine girl's perky breasts.

He tried to fight down a blush, but a small tint of red made it to his cheeks. It didn't help that the girl on Amon's bed was making a suggestive pose.

Since when did he become Haru?

"Woah! Slow down, big boy! Hot and bothered already?" She teased, a smirk on her lips. "Play your cards right, and I might just have a solution for that..." She gave him a sultry smile, a blush already forming on her cheeks.

Gil took a step back at the girl, his face burning red. He has never met someone so... forward? Yeah, that's the word. The girl practically screamed pervert with a capital 'P'.

Gil coughed into his fist, doing his best to fight back the flush on his face right now. After a few minutes, he glared at the girl. "Look, either tell me _why_ you're here, or I'll-!"

"Ahh!" She interrupted him with a loud erotic moan, making him take another step back from her suddenness, his blush returning tenfolds. "Ahh! You're going to ravage me, aren't you? Take me by the arms and do your way with me?" She moaned again, her eyes giving off a glint.

"W-What?! No!" Gil shouted back, embarrassment taking over the anger inside him. "Why the hell would I do that?!

"I can see the lust in your eyes! Those eyes are trying to burn my clothes off as we speak!" She exclaimed, a sultry smirk on her face. "But, lucky for you, I'm more than willing to help..." She offered, her perverted smile coming back tenfold, drool already dripping from her mouth while her hands made a creepy groping motion.

Gil slowly stepped back until his back hit the wall. All his blood was going up his head, ready to explode in a glories fashion of embarrassment.

This girl on Amon's bed was probably the ultimate pervert.

And that's saying something because he knows Haru.

A light snicker escaped the girl's lips, eliciting Gil to raise an eyebrow in confusion. She continued to snicker until it turned to full-blown laughter, holding her abdomen while hitting the bed.

"Oh god! Oh god! You should've _seen_ your face..." She continued to laugh at him, going so far as to point at him. "Mercy! Mercy! My sides! They're gonna pop!" She cried out, holding her sides from laughing too hard.

He got played... _Hard_.

"S-Shut up..." Gil tried to be angry, but instead he stuttered, making the girl laugh harder. "S-Shut up, dammit!" He growled at her.

"Woah! take a chill-pill, dude." She giggled, standing up from the bed. She was indeed really short, probably as tall as Erina, but... more mature. "Oi! My eyes are up here, buddy." She said, smirking at the older God Eater.

"... Who are you and what the hell are you doing in here?" He questioned the girl, pointing a finger at her.

"Hmm?" The girl raised an eyebrow at him, looking at him funny. "I don't get ya..."

"I mean what are you doing inside my captain's room, when it supposed to be locked!" He shouted at her. "Talk, or I'll make you wish you hadn't become a God Eater..." He threatened with a dark look that only promised pain.

"Ohhh!" She snapped her fingers, as if she realized one of the life's secrets. "Easy! I found the room's key _under_ the rug!" She answered, a smile on her lips.

"... Goddammit, Amon..." Gil silently cursed. His captain always left the keys to his bedroom under his rug, which was sometimes took advantage of by people he knew.

"Plus, this is your captain's room, right? And I'm pretty sure he won't mind seeing a sexy girl like me – my name is Mandy, by the way – sitting on his bed while reading his porn." She joked. "Hell, he might even join me if he's into this." She continued, pulling up another magazine from under the bed.

At the mention of his captain, Gil's look darkened, guilt slowly being etched into his expression. "He's dead..."

Mandy stopped the reading the magazine and turned her attention to him, raising an eyebrow. "Excuse me...?" She asked.

"I said, the owner of this room passed away, for more than three months now..." He answered, the life in his eyes gone.

An air of silence then befallen the room. Mandy stood up from the bed, coughing into her fist. "I'm... I'm sorry for your lost..." She apologized to him, but then flinched when he scowled at her.

"I don't care anymore..." Gil said to her, turning to the door. "When I get back, I want you gone from here and to never set a foot near this room again, understand?" He slammed the door on his way out before he could hear her answer, already on his way down to the God Arc Armory to get his spear and gear.

"Hey, wait a minute, dammit!" Mandy bursted out of the room, chasing right after him before the elevator was about to close on her face. She was able to grab both of the sliding doors and squeeze herself through. "Woah!"

Unfortunately, she slipped on her feet and slammed face first onto Gil's chest. Not prepared for the sudden lost of balance, they were both knocked down to the ground. "Ow! What the hell!" Gil cursed, wincing.

He was about to push the girl off him, but he felt something soft in his hands. Unconsciously, he gave it a light squeeze between his fingers.

"Ahh!"

Gil then received a strong slap to the face, a burning-red imprint of a hand marked on his cheek. "You pervert!" Mandy shouted, sitting in a corner with her arms around her chest. "Even though I _act_ goddamn perverted, that doesn't mean you have the right to grope me!"

He blushed at the realization on what was between his fingers. The older God Eater raised a hand to his cheek, wincing in pain upon touching it. It felt like he was just smacked by a Vajra's paw or something.

"W-What?! You were the one throwing yourself at me!" He shouted out, wincing in pain immediately. It felt like his cheek wasn't the only thing hurting. He rubbed his chin, feeling that it was slightly dislocated. He popped it right back into its socket.

Damn, this girl hits like a truck, for a God Eater.

Gil then sensed a wave of animosity directed at him, making him look at the other occupant in the elevator. "What?" He questioned, feeling the girl's glare trying to pierce his head through.

"Well, I'm waiting..." Mandy said, impatiently crossing her arms while deepening her glare.

"For what?"

"For my apology, a-hole!" She shouted at him, flailing her arms around. "You groped me without my permission!"

"I ain't apologizing for something I didn't do on purpose! And I especially ain't apologizing to a nymphomaniac like _you_!" He shouted back at her. "Plus, I'm pretty sure you get groped all the time, especially how _perverted_ you are!"

"You bastard! Take that back!"

"Make me." Gil challenged, crossing his arms over his chest. "Make me apologize to you, _pipsqueak_." He insulted, a smirk on his lips.

That insult was the last straw for her, throwing herself at him with a shriek reminiscent to a banshee. She went on biting, scratching and kicking him.

"Oi! Knock that out!" He growled, but she ignored him. She climbed up his body and pulled on his hair, steering him around and making him crash his head multiple times in the elevator. "Get off me, short-stack!"

"Never! Apologize, asshole!"

"Shove off!"

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In the God Arc Armory, a lonely silver-black scythe waited for its owner's touch once more. Sadly, it was waiting for naught. The blood that stained the blade seemed to meld with the God Arc, no amount of cleaning could remove its impurities. As if it was only there to serve as a grim reminder for its loss.

So, why is she here?

Why did she spent almost everyday down here, staring at this very God Arc? Is it because she didn't want to forget the owner of the God Arc, the one who inspired many like her to believe in themselves? Or is it just a grim reminder for her failures as an Operator?

She didn't know the answers to any of those questions. But she did know that she would always look at the God Arc, knowing that the owner will never come for it no matter how hard she hoped for him to walk out that very elevator, greet her and go on his daily suicidal missions.

But, no, he won't come back. It was normal for God Eaters to die on a daily basis, sacrificing their lives for the greater good, for the survival of Humanity as a whole.

What's worth a single life when one could save a million more?

She'll ask herself again, why is she here?

"Amon..." She muttered under her breath, sadness laced in her tone. She reached out to the God Arc. If laid even a single finger on it, the Oracle Cells inside it will devour her whole.

So, why was she still trying to reach it, her fingers only inches away from the Arc?

But before she could touch the man-made Aragami weapon, the elevator to the Armory opened up, making her reel her arm back to her side.

Two individuals stumbled out of the elevator, one of them was familiar to her while the other was someone she didn't recognize. The two of them were wrestling on the ground, with the former trying to pull the latter out of their back while they pulled on their hair.

"I said..." Gil grabbed the girl by the collar. "Get off me!" He then hurled her back into the elevator, quickly pressing a button the moment she went in.

"Hey!" The girl shouted at him, but the door suddenly closed on her face, a colorful vocabulary of words being heard as the elevator went up.

Gil sighed in relief, dropping to the ground and laying on it. "Good thing... that's over..." He panted, sweat cascading down his face while it was flushed red.

During that whole exchange, Urara only watched in both shock and confusion. In her whole career as an Operator, this was the very first time she had witnessed something like this happen.

With a grunt, Gil stood up and turned around, only to notice now that he wasn't the only one in the Armory. "Urara? What are you doing here?" He questioned, raising a brow at the timid girl.

"Umm... Ah..." She racked up her brain to make up a believable lie. Seeing an Operator like her down to the God Arc Armory was suspicious and unusual, with the exception of Teruomi being a God Arc enthusiast and former mechanic.

She never understood why he would always describe the God Arcs in a... unique way.

"I-I'm here for... work? Yes, _work_! Miss Licca asked me to check the God Arcs for her, yes." She lied, sweat already accumulating on her forehead from all the nervousness.

Gil narrowed his eyes at her, making her flinch in fear for being discovered. But it soon subsided when he shrugged his shoulders and walked pass her, grabbing his God Arc and going on his way.

"W-Wait! W-Where are you going?" Urara asked. Last time she checked, Gil's daily missions were already finished for today.

Gil was silent at first, not bothering to turn around and face her, but he soon spoke. "I'm going to hunt down a murderer..." He quietly said to her, but she heard it loud and clear.

She already knew what he was referring to, but that didn't change that fact that he was going in alone with possibly no back-up. She too wanted justice on the Aragami that harmed Amon, but that didn't mean she wanted another person to get hurt in the process.

As an Operator, their duty was to keep God Eaters alive, and get them home safe, no matter the cost.

A duty she already failed once.

"Don't try to stop me, Urara." Gil said before she had the chance to say anything. "If you're going to tell on me, then tell on me. I already made it clear what I'm going to do and no-one's gonna stop be from getting revenge." He was about to leave, but a hand grabbed him by the wrist, stopping him on his tracks.

She wanted to stop him, she really did. As an Operator, her duty is to drag him back with all her power back to the Lobby and report it to the Director. She didn't want to see another person get hurt, not again.

But her feelings said otherwise.

"... I-If you ever find the Aragami responsible..." Urara raised her head and stared at him, a look of conviction in her eyes. "I want you to bring them to justice and come back home alive, okay?" She requested – no, she demanded him.

For a second, she was afraid he was going to get angry with her. But he simply turned around and faced her, his expression serious. "I don't intend to die, not _yet_. I will avenge Amon's death, this I swear." He answered, leaving without another word.

Urara sighed, pressing a hand next to her chest. Her heart was furiously beating, a sense of foreboding gnawing at her being. She knew that what she did is stupid and petty. Killing the Aragami responsible for Amon's death won't do anything good for the Far East.

Nothing else was to gain from killing it. Nothing at all.

Nothing but cold revenge.

Urara slumped to the ground, leaning on the railings of Amon's God Arc. She felt tired all of a sudden, as if she could sleep through the whole day and next. Maybe all the emotional stress finally caught up to her.

As she was about to close her eyes, a short, blurry, pink figure walked pass her, something large and pink in her hands as well.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

A shriek of rage and agony pierced through the ruin city's silence.

All around, mutilated Aragami bodies scattered the streets, fresh blood leaking out of the bodies. Killed in the most brutalist manner and torn apart like dolls, claw marks and blade slashes decorated their flesh. Some even had bite marks on them, missing entire chunks of meat from their bodies.

Even the ruined buildings didn't escape the destruction. Some looked like they were cleanly sliced through and half, while some looked like something incredible hot went through them, molten hot stone and metal oozing out.

All of this death and destruction was caused by a _single_ being, a being that stood on a mountain of its enemies' bodies.

A humanoid, covered in black chitin-like armor with glowing yellow veins decorating its body. Its large, completely yellow, angular eyes stared at the slowly greening moon, its broken, crystal-like wings flexing. Two long forward-pointing horns sprouting out of its chitin-like helmet-head. A permanent, twisted grin on its face.

On its shoulder laid a black scythe with the same yellow veins running along it. Its left arm had a blade sticking out its forearm, moving and wiggling around like it was alive but shining from the moon's light like metal. Blood dripped from both of its weapons, the blood the Aragami it just slew.

It raised a clawed hand at the moon, reaching up to it, hoping to reach and grab it out from the sky.

But it _couldn't_.

Not just _yet_.

Enraged, the humanoid beast let loose a bestial roar, glass shattering around it. An orb of yellow energy slowly formed between its horns, eventually turning into the size of a basketball.

It pointed its horns at the buildings, its long tongue lickings its lipless mouth.

It then fired the orb, making a large blast of yellow energy that tore through everything in its path like butter. The night sky lit up in a yellow glow from the blast.

Nothing remained but ash and melted steel in front of it.

Another shriek of agony tore through its serrated teeth.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Author-San: Props to anyone who knows where I got the inspiration for Mandy and the monster at the end.**

**To tell you all the truth, I kinda contemplated on whether or not I should upload, thinking that all of the characters were acting a bit out of character. But after playing the game a second time and watching the cutscenes, I was kinda the sure they were acting in character.**

**But enough talk, I hope you guys enjoyed. And as always, see you guys on the flipside. Peace!**


	6. Chapter 6: Memory

**Author-San**: **Sup! Sorry about not uploading often like I used to. Life happens (like school, video games and crap).**

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**{Chapter 6: Memory}**

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Pain and discomfort.

That was what he could described what he felt right now. His bed felt like he was laying on dirt and pointed rocks while his room smelled like trees and wet-grass, and not the good kind.

Wait...

Why does feel like _something_ is slowly slithering up his leg.

As quickly as he opened his eyes, his stood straight up from the ground and kicked the snake that was slithering on him, knocking it into the green forest.

Wait a minute... green forest? _Forest?_

He looked around him, seeing green, beautiful foliage and trees that could covered the sun's light with their leaves. The air smelled fresh and fragrant, while the cool wind tickled his skin.

It looked like paradise, something only one can see in books and illustrations.

But that wasn't the thing he noticed the most.

He noticed that his right side felt... _lighter_ than usual.

The moment he looked at his side, he felt his breath hitch, his eyes widening in shock and horror while his mouth couldn't form any words.

His right arm, his entire right arm, from the shoulder to the very fingertips on his hands, was _gone_.

The only thing left was an ugly-looking, fucked-up, mended stump.

For a second, his entire world crashed down on him, making him fall down to his knees while his remaining arm reached up to the stump, his fingers shaking. All his sense dulled while his mind was practically spinning in circles trying to cope to what happened to him.

Upon touching it, he felt his stomach churn, saliva building up in his mouth. And before he knew it, he emptied his lunch on to the forest floor.

After emptying his stomach, wiping away a few hanging spittles from his mouth, he looked back at his loss arm. Nothing, he felt absolutely nothing, just like it was never there in the first place. Hell, he couldn't even _believe_ that his arm was missing.

What the hell happened? Or more importantly, where was he?

Sadly, he can't dwell on it for too long. He'd rather find somewhere safe before he encounters something he can't handle on his own.

He stood up, but he quickly stumbled to the ground, his balance uneven from the missing limb. But he can't give up, forcing himself to stand up and stay in balance.

He took baby steps at first, which made him slip on his footing once or twice, but eventually he got used to the loss of weight on his right, able to stand up straight now.

Losing a limb was no joke. It felt like you were trying to support the weight of something that wasn't there. And what's worse, the phantom-pains he felt in his missing right was starting to irritate him.

This was going to be a great day, he just knows it...

He sighed to himself, walking slowly out of the forest. He didn't jump or vault over anything, he'd rather not risk getting a face-full of dirt and grass.

As he slowly made it out, he noticed somethings unusual that weren't normally seen. He saw different _animals_ that were already extinct – only seen in history books and such – looking at him from the tall trees, a few critters and birds at best. But there were also some who were hiding from him, skittering away from him whenever he moved close to them.

But he can't really stay here for too long, or else... What was he trying to run from?

He immediately stopped in his tracks, a flood of questions and thoughts running through his head. Whenever he tried to remember something, only a blank image would appear, as if he forgot about it.

No, more like _something_ was trying to block him from his memories.

He then instantly got a major headache on trying to remember anything, something. But his attempts were fruitless, making him growl in frustration. He punched a tree in frustration, breaking it into splinters, some even getting stuck in his skin.

The creatures of the forest quickly scattered away from him, running away from fear.

Slowly, he turned to the tree he punched, chunks of it missing from his punch. He stared at his remaining arm, clenching and unclenching his bleeding fist – which was already healing in an unprecedented rate for a normal human. No pain or scar was left, only a slight trickle of blood dripping down from his hand.

Why does he feel... _powerful?_ Yeah, that's the word. He felt like he could take on the world and more without so much of an issue.

First, the mysterious fear he was feeling, telling him to run and hide from _something_. And now, this? His day just keeps on getting better and better.

He then spotted a big boulder lodged into the side of a tree, walking up to it and placing a hand on it. It was slightly cool but rough to the touch.

He did a small experimental push to it. Only a small one.

The boulder gave way and was pushed further into the tree's side, shocking him from how it didn't give even a small amount of resistance to his push. It felt like he was pushing something really light around, not a boulder bigger than him.

He continued to push the boulder further, digging the giant stone deep into the tree, to the point that he heard a loud snap... and then another.

As fast as a person with a missing arm could, he rolled to the side and dodged the falling tree aimed at his head. It made a loud crash upon meeting with the ground, only missing him by a few heartbeats.

The noise echoed through the forest, scaring a flock of birds out of their trees.

The shock on his face slowly turned to amusement, silently chuckling to himself. If it weren't for his reflexes, he would have been a pancake by the now.

At the mention of food, his stomach growled loudly, reminiscent to a starving beast of the wild, scaring even more animals of the forest – which now made him feel bad – around him.

He quickly stood up, coughing into his fist from embarrassment. There was no point in staying in a forest. He needed food. He'd rather not starve out in the open, ready for... _something_ to ambush him?

There it is again, the sudden urge to run and hide from _something_. And with it, the sudden headache came, almost making him lose his balance. He slowly inhaled and exhaled through his nostrils, calming him and the headache he was feeling. After a few minutes, it was gone, again.

Actually, what was he doing again?

Then the sudden growl of his stomach reminded him of his problem, prompting him to groan. He looked around the forest and saw nothing that was edible – or non-poisonous – here.

With a sigh, he continued his journey out of the forest, the growls of his gut keeping him company. It was really starting to annoy him.

He really hoped that there was food somewhere, or something to shut his angry stomach up.

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With a stumble and a fall, he was finally out of the forest. Leaves and twigs stuck to his clothes and hair. He shook his body like a wet dog to get rid of anything that was stuck, pulling out a slightly long stick out of his hair – made him look like a goddamn unicorn – with his remaining hand.

Who knew walking inside a forest was annoying. Everything sticked to him like goddamn decoration stickers or something.

He looked around at his new surroundings, less trees and more grass. A field, if the books he read were right. He then noticed a trail of smoke raising up from behind a small, green hill, blocking anything on what's behind it.

He trudged up to the hill to get a better view. What he saw made his eyes widen in surprise and a bit of amazement.

In the middle of a wide and open field was a small, log cabin, smoke raising up from its chimney. There was a small vegetable garden at the side, with a horse – something he only read in books and saw in pictures – tied next to it, eating a bucket full of orange carrots.

He didn't know how long he stared at the comfy home. He just stared, bewildered at something so simple to be found in the middle of nowhere. There was a road near the house, nothing to protect it from... _something_.

After what felt like an eternity of looking at the house, his stomach abruptly reminded him what it demanded from him, growling at him in annoyance.

Without a second thought, he went down from the small hill and walked up to the cabin's wooden door. The horse greeted him with neigh before returning back to its meal, the crunch of the carrots made his gut growl louder, begging him for something to fill it with.

He raised a fist to the door, about to knock.

When the door suddenly opened by someone else from the other side.

"Hmm? Who do we have here?" A man – no. A guy in his late-teens or early-twenties – questioned, looking at him from bottom to up.

The guy was a blond with grey eyes. He wore a jacket with half-length sleeves, a thin red bow attached to the front zipper, as well as a white button-down shirt and a purple cardigan underneath it, a black collar with a gold buckle around his neck, and a pair of pants and sturdy boots. His clothes were overall black, with gold accents.

In short, someone he didn't picture of living in the middle of nowhere if their life depended on it or not.

He was about to respond, but his stomach beat him to it. The growl even startled the horse, giving off a neigh before finishing its carrot meal.

"Well, straightforward, I see..." The owner of the cabin said, an amused smile on his face.

He tried to form any words, but the embarrassment he felt kinda overwhelmed. Instead, he bowed at him as an apology.

The blond cracked a smile. "Don't apologize. It's normal for a person to be hungry, and you look like someone who hasn't eaten for some time." He commented. "Oh I apologize for not introducing myself yet. My name is Julius, _Julius_ Visconti. If I may ask, what is yours?"

Julius Visconti?

Why does that name seem so _familiar_ to him? Somehow, that name resonated something inside of him, something warm, gentle and... regretful? Like a person he has known for a very long time, a close friend.

But that's impossible. He has never met someone like him before, but his very being said otherwise.

Suddenly, the pain in his head increased tenfold, images he has yet to see flooding into his mind, only increasing the pain further. But he composed himself, only letting out a quiet groan from his mouth.

"Hmm? Is there a problem?" Julius asked, noticing the grimace on his face.

"... No... No problem..." He said, his voice hoarse and dry, as if hasn't been used for ages. He then quickly began a coughing fit, covering his mouth with his remaining hand while he reflexively hunched over.

"Easy there." Julius patted and rubbed his back. "Wait here." He went inside the cabin, but not before giving him a handkerchief. After a while, he came back with a glass of water and handed it to him.

He took the glass – not before giving the handkerchief back – and greedily gulped it down, feeling the cool water running down his throat in relief. "Thanks..." He said, his voice still hoarse.

"You're welcome..." Julius trailed off, raising a brow at him.

Getting the hint, he opened his mouth and said... What was his _name_ again?

No, seriously. Who was he? Why can't he remember his name? Actually, why can't he remember _anything_ about himself except common knowledge about things?

There was an empty feeling inside his stomach, and it wasn't the lack of food in it.

He tried to remember, but the headache he was feeling only blocked him, made him dizzy and nauseous. But he didn't give in, he forced his mind to remember, the pain increasing more and more, almost threatening to split his skull open.

_"Cappy...!" A girl in pink said to him, her hair fashioned to look like cat ears, a bright and happy smile on her lips. In her arms was a large animal he can't actually identify._

"Sir!" Julius snapped him out of his thoughts. "Your nose is bleeding!"

And indeed it was, feeling a warm liquid streaming down his face and drip off his chin. He instinctively touched his nose, discovering a deep-red color covering his fingers. He wiped the blood off with his sleeve, disappearing into its black color.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Julius asked him, worry in his grey eyes. "Here. Come inside and let me see if I have anything that can help you." He said.

He was about to reject the offer, but his damn stomach beat him to it again, growling louder than ever before.

"And maybe a meal or _two_ as well..." Julius chuckled in amusement, going inside the cabin.

Oh, how he hated his gut right now.

Again, his gut seemed to respond to him, growling its loudest yet.

"Shut... up...!"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

A chow-down later, he let out a belch, his stomach slightly bloated and satisfied with the food. A few empty dishes stacked on the table.

"I see you're _finally_ full." Julius commented with an amused smile, sitting on the chair just across him. He carried two teacups and placed one in front of him. "If I may kindly ask again, I haven't caught your name yet, have I?" He asked, an amused smile on his face.

He stopped in his tracks, the teacup only inches away from touching his lips. He placed the beverage down to the table and racked his brain up for a name, or something to say.

Through the headaches, only a single name came to mind.

"_Cappy_... You can call me... Cappy." He answered, a bit unsure about the name. It was the only name he could remember and it was better than nothing. And something about it made him feel at home for some reason, so it might be right, right?

"Cappy? What a... peculiar name." Julius commented. "Oh, forgive me! I didn't mean to insult you or your name." He quickly apologized, worried that he might have made him mad.

"It... is okay..." Cappy said, but soon turned into another coughing fit, covering his mouth with his single arm.

"Here." Julius had in his open palm was a small tablet, probably medicine or something. "This will surely help you with that nasty cough." He said with a gentle smile.

Cappy reluctantly – already feeling like he was taking advantage of his kindness – took the medicine and gave him his silent thanks. He swallowed the medicine and followed it with some tea. The tea was sweet yet slightly bitter, in a good way.

After a few seconds, nice, cool relief flooded his throat, the dryness disappearing like it wasn't there in the first place. A sigh of relief left his mouth, feeling better than before he woke up in a random forest.

"I can see that the medicine worked." Julius said, taking a sip from his own tea.

"Yeah. Thanks for that!" He said, rather chipper than before. "I feel like I can run a marathon!"

"Then I'm happy to hear that, Mister Cappy." Julius smiled, amused to see him livelier than before he found him in front of his home. "If I can, may I ask you another question, Mister Cappy?"

The feeling Julius gave off to him, it felt like they had a strange connection to each other, a connection of both friendship and hardship with one another. "Please, just call me Cappy." He responded, a smile of his own on his lips. "And ask me anything, Julius. It's the least I can do for your kindness!"

"Thank you, Mis... Cappy. If it isn't a hassle, may I ask what you are doing in the middle of nowhere?" Julius politely asked. "When I saw you in front of my door, you seemed distressed."

Cappy scratched the back of his head, not sure how to respond to him. If he told the truth, there might be the chance of him not believing him and possibly calling a mad lunatic. But lying isn't an option either, lying to someone who was nothing but kind and helpful to him left a bad taste in his mouth.

So, he betted on the former instead, feeling that he can trust him. "To tell you the truth, Julius, I'm not sure how I got here. Actually, I don't even know where I am right now." He explained. "I just woke up earlier in a forest near here, absolutely no memory on how I got there." He finished, taking a sip from his teacup.

"Really?! Quite peculiar..." Julius said, surprised at his condition. "Amnesia, maybe?" He asked.

"Heh, I wish. But, for some odd reason, whenever I try to remember anything, I get a headache instead, like the one earlier with my nose bleeding." Cappy answered, finishing the rest of his tea.

That was some good tea. He was _already_ missing it.

"Hmm... Quite peculiar indeed..." Julius hummed to himself. "Experiencing headaches and lost of memory, I see? Seems like you need a doctor."

Cappy blinked, his teacup over his open-mouth, trying desperately to get a last drops of tea onto his tongue. "A doctor?" He questioned, placing the cup down on the table.

"Yes. A doctor. And lucky for you, I know a good one just down the road near my home. If you like, I can take you there?" Julius offered, a smile on his face.

Already feeling that he was taking advantage of his kindness, he shook his head. "I would love you to take me there, but you've already done enough for me. So, I'm sorry, but I have to decline your offer." Cappy answered.

Julius frowned for a moment but eventually sighed in response. "If you wish to. Just wait here for a moment, will you?" He stood up from the table and went into another room.

Without anyone to keep him company in the meantime, Cappy looked around the house, spotting a lot of things that made a home comfy and warm: a fire place, a simple-designed rug, a nicely-carved wooden floor, and so much more.

But _something_ caught his eye, shining just at the very corner of his vision. There was a small picture frame atop the fire place's shelf, the light glinting off it.

He stood up from the table and walked up to it. The picture frame looked old yet nicely taken care of. There was a picture of a handsome, brown-haired man with blue eyes standing at the left, a beautiful woman with blond hair and grey eyes sitting on a chair at the right, and a young boy with brown hair and grey eyes in the middle, sitting on the woman's lap.

It was a picture of a family. They were smiling happily, brighter than anything he could see. For some odd reason, the picture radiated joy.

The family in the picture was happy.

"Those are my parents. My mother and father." Cappy quickly turned around, surprised to see Julius standing behind him with a soft smile on his lips, a letter in his hands. "It was taken back when I was still a child, back when I still lived with them." He shared.

He turned back to the picture, seeing the similarities between Julius and the child in the photo. The boy had a bright smile on his face, just like the smile Julius has right now.

"It's... a beautiful picture, Julius." Cappy commented. "Are they...?" He trailed off, afraid to possibly offend the person who helped him, a total stranger, thus far.

"Yes... They are. Hopefully, they're in a better place." Julius answered with a bittersweet smile.

"Oh... I'm sorry for your loss then." He apologized, feeling like an insensitive prick right about now.

"Don't worry about it, Cappy. They left without any regrets, and I'm happy for that." Julius said, his smile brightening. "But thank you for your condolences." He then handed him a letter.

"Hmm? What's this?" Cappy asked, staring at the letter. It smelt just a hint of hazelnut.

"A letter for a friend of mine. Just give it to them and they'll do the rest." Julius said. "Outside, there's a nearby road here. Just follow the road and it would take you to a small town. Find a person named Ciel Alençon and give them this letter, understood?"

Cappy nodded. "Follow the road and find a person named Ciel, go it!" He repeated, a smile of his own. But for some reason, the name mentioned to him sounded familiar, making him feel both joy... and pain?

Why _pain?_

He quickly set aside the feeling and turned back to Julius. "I know I said it a few times already, but thanks for helping me, Julius."

"No worries, Cappy. I'm just glad I was able to help a person in need." The owner of the home said. "But if you ever need help once more, don't be afraid to come back and ask, okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks for the offer, Julius." Cappy raised a hand to him for a handshake. "This is goodbye... for now, I guess?"

Julius chuckled, raising his hand as well. "Yes. I do hope we meet each other again soon, Cappy. It was a pleasure meeting you."

"Likewise, Julius. Likewise." He was happy. Julius was a good guy, someone one could instantly trust the moment they meet. He was warm and kind, especially to a complete stranger like him.

He too hoped they would meet again soon.

As soon as their hands touched with one another, everything turned to dark and still.

No noise but the sounds of _something_ meaty being ripped and torn apart and bone pounded to dust was heard.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Gah!" He yelled out, instantly sitting upright from from the hard ground he laid on. Sweat was cascading down his forehead while he was taking in long and greedy breathes of air, his heart pounding in his chest, threatening to pop out at any moment.

What was that? What happened? Last thing he remembered was being inside the house of... _someone?_ Who was that person again? Why can't he remembered their name? He can't even picture what they looked like, if they were a guy or a girl.

Who were _they_ again?

And why did his mouth _tasted_ like iron?

Setting aside those thoughts for now, there were more important matters to attend to. Calming himself down, he looked around to know where he was.

He was once again in a _forest_, the very same one he woke up in, seeing that he saw the same fallen tree he accidentally destroyed with his excessive pushing. Gripped in his hand was a letter, slightly crumpled from how tightly he held it between his shaking fists.

For some odd reason, he remembered something important about the letter in his hands: instructions, something about following a nearby road around here to a small town and finding someone.

And that _someone_ was his best bet, for now.

Standing up and stretching his body, hearing a few satisfying pops, he began the trek out of the forest once more, a letter now in his hands. He really hoped getting out for the second time was less than a hassle than the first time.

Sadly, he found out it _wasn't_, the hard way.

Stumbling out of the foliage a second time, covered in more leaves and twigs. Growling under his breath in annoyance, he shakes his body like a dog, everything falling and falling off him.

It was official, he _hated_ walking in a forest.

Taking in the sights around him once more, he was once again in the same fields, seeing the same hill he stood atop of. But something was _different_ this time.

There was no _smoke_ raising up to the clouds.

Curiosity taking over him, he trudged up to the hill and looked around.

_Nothing_, there was nothing but more open field and grass, nothing unusual in sight. The only thing that stuck out like a sore thumb was a nearby dirt road, an empty road with no-one nearby.

With a shrug of his shoulders, he slid down the hill and followed the road, hoping the town was near here and only a few minutes away.

But unbeknownst to him, the _stump_ that was once his arm looked to be healing itself, only stopping at the upper part of his arm.

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**Author-san: Hello! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Sorry about this chapter being a bit shorter than usual. But nevertheless, hope y'all enjoyed. See ya next time!**


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